Lenny Martinez, from Cannes, won the queen stage of the Tour de Romandie between Sion and Thyon 2000 on Saturday, May 3rd. A character-driven victory that allows him to take the lead in the general classification before the final time trial.
On the steep slopes of Thyon 2000, Lenny Martinez held his own against the favorites. The stage, marked by five climbs and 128.4 kilometers of racing, was set to be decisive. And it was. In the final climb, Martinez didn’t give an inch against João Almeida. The Frenchman from the Bahrain Victorious team followed the Portuguese rider without weakening, before surpassing him in a sprint.
This victory, the eighth of his career, is also his second this season on the World Tour circuit after his success on the 5th stage of Paris-Nice. Most importantly, it allows him to don the yellow leader’s jersey, on the eve of the final act.
Lorenzo Fortunato, third in the stage, is two seconds behind in the general classification. Almeida, narrowly defeated, also remains in contention, three seconds behind. The suspense remains intact, but it is indeed Lenny Martinez who is now in a strong position.
In this day of reckoning among climbers, Remco Evenepoel surprised everyone. Physically, he lagged behind, opting to play as a team by supporting his teammate Junior Lecerf. The latter now sits in fifth place in the general classification.
At 21 years old, Lenny Martinez confirms his role as a leader in mountain stages. He approaches Sunday’s time trial with a slim lead but a clearly favorable dynamic. He just needs to hold on for one more day to etch his name into the history of the Tour de Romandie.
