“Beating Jonas Vingegaard on the last day of Paris–Nice is something really special” - Bahrain Victorious savour statement win for Lenny Martinez

Lenny Martinez produced a decisive performance on the final day of Paris–Nice, finishing off a two-up sprint to take victory ahead of Jonas Vingegaard and give Bahrain - Victorious a major early-season success.

The stage had already been shaped by a hard tempo before the decisive climb, with the peloton reduced and the strongest riders emerging at the front as the gradients steepened. Martinez remained in the leading selection alongside Vingegaard as the race exploded on the climb, setting up a tense run to the finish between the remaining contenders.

For Bahrain - Victorious, the result carried extra significance given the circumstances the team faced even before the stage began. “We were already down to four riders from yesterday because Nikias got ill overnight, so it wasn’t an easy situation for the team,” sports director Roman Kreuziger said afterwards. “But Lenny was very confident before the stage, and the guys did a really good job.”

Despite the reduced numbers, the team still managed to influence the decisive moment of the race. Damiano Caruso played a key role in the approach to the steep climb where the final selection formed, ensuring Martinez was perfectly placed when the decisive accelerations began. “Damiano came back to the group at the right moment and positioned Lenny perfectly behind Jonas before the steep climb,” Kreuziger explained. “After that, Lenny handled the situation very well.”

Once the front group formed on the climb, the race remained finely balanced. Riders behind continued to chase, forcing the leaders to maintain a high tempo as the stage approached its conclusion.

Martinez kept his composure in that situation and ultimately finished the job when the small group contested the sprint for victory. “He stayed calm even with the chasers coming from behind and finished it off in the sprint,” Kreuziger said.

The victory carried particular weight because of the rival Martinez managed to defeat in the final metres. Beating one of the peloton’s most dominant stage racers on the final day of one of the season’s major early stage races gave the result added meaning for the team. “Beating Jonas on the last day of Paris–Nice is something really special,” Kreuziger added. “It’s a big boost for the whole team and something we can be very proud of.”

After navigating a difficult stage with limited numbers, the combination of tactical positioning and Martinez’s finishing speed delivered a result that Bahrain - Victorious described as a major morale boost for the squad early in the season.