Bahrain - Victorious forced into last minute Liège-Bastogne-Liège change as leader Lenny Martinez ruled out

Bahrain - Victorious have been forced into a late change ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, with Lenny Martinez ruled out of Sunday’s Monument.

The French climber had been set to play a leading role in the Ardennes finale, but will instead rest and recover ahead of his upcoming targets at the Tour de Romandie. In his place, Mathijs Paasschens comes into the lineup to support Santiago Buitrago.

Martinez’s withdrawal alters the structure Bahrain had initially put in place for Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The team had planned to head into the race with dual leadership, pairing Buitrago’s proven pedigree with Martinez’s punchy climbing profile. That approach offered tactical flexibility across the decisive climbs, particularly in a race where timing and positioning are often as important as outright strength.

Without the young Frenchman, that balance shifts. Buitrago now moves into a clear leadership role, with the team built around supporting him through the decisive phases of the race.

While the late change removes one of their key options, Bahrain retain a rider with a strong history in the race. Buitrago finished on the podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2023, underlining his ability to compete at the highest level on this terrain. His climbing strength and endurance over long distances make him well suited to the demands of La Doyenne.

The team will now look to build their race around that experience.

Even with Martinez absent, Bahrain’s lineup still carries depth across different roles. Pello Bilbao, riding his final season, brings experience and a recent top-ten finish in the race, while Antonio Tiberi adds another climbing option capable of supporting deep into the race.

Riders such as Fran Miholjević, Afonso Eulálio and Pau Miquel provide further support, with the ability to cover moves and feature in breakaways as the race develops.

Despite the setback, the team’s ambitions for the race remain unchanged. “We have the ambition to fight for the podium here, but we know it will be difficult with the level of competition and the favourites in the race,” sports director Enrico Gasparotto said in the team’s pre-race communication.

“That said, we have a well balanced team with depth, which gives us different options. There are key moments in this race where it can really open up, and we need to be ready to take our chances.”