“I never thought I would win in a sprint, especially against Jonas” – Lenny Martinez stuns Vingegaard in Paris-Nice finale

Lenny Martinez ended the 2026 edition of Paris-Nice with the biggest victory of his season so far, outsprinting overall winner Jonas Vingegaard in a two rider showdown on the streets of Nice.

After a brutally selective final stage around the Côte d’Azur, the Bahrain - Victorious climber was the only rider capable of following Vingegaard’s acceleration on the steep slopes of the Côte du Linguador. The pair crested the final climb together and quickly built a decisive gap over the chasing group, setting up a rare sprint a deux to decide the stage victory.

Despite facing the dominant rider of the week, Martinez held his nerve in the final metres to deliver a statement win. “It was really hard today,” Martinez explained afterwards to Cycling Pro Net. “With Jonas, we worked well together. We said we would go together to the finish on the flat. He was pushing really hard on the wheel. I was even struggling a bit. He was super aero and very strong.”

Knowing the sprint would be difficult against the two-time Tour de France winner, Martinez admitted he was nervous when the finish line came into view. “I was a bit stressed because I know he has a very good turn of speed. When I saw the line, I launched my sprint. When I went, I thought maybe it was a bit too far, and I could see his shadow coming back behind me, but in the end it worked.”

The decisive moment of the stage came on the short but brutally steep Côte du Linguador, where Team Visma | Lease a Bike again drove the pace to isolate their race leader.

When Vingegaard accelerated, only Martinez could respond. “Honestly, it was okay,” Martinez said when asked about following the Dane on the final climb. “I was a bit worried. I told him I would help after, but I was mainly afraid of riding and then being attacked afterwards, because it’s still Jonas, and you never know what he’s capable of. He’s super strong.”

Rather than risk provoking another attack, the French rider chose to stay glued to Vingegaard’s wheel before the pair committed fully to the run towards Nice. “So I was happy to stay on his wheel, and then we said we would go full gas together to the finish.”

The stage success capped a strong overall performance for Martinez, who had already been consistently near the front throughout the week. “Yes, I had been chasing a win all week,” he said. “It’s crazy to win the last stage. I never thought it would happen because the course was hard, but the finish wasn’t. I never thought I would win in a sprint, especially against Jonas.”

While the stage win delivered the moment he had been chasing, Martinez also reflected on the progress he feels he has made as a rider over the past year. “Honestly, it shows that I’ve changed and improved a lot. I think I’m more consistent now. All week at Paris-Nice I was good every day, and that shows I’m ready.”

Martinez also finished the race satisfied with his overall performance across the eight days. “This morning I was fifth, and I was happy, but something was missing. Now it’s there, so I’m very happy.”

Looking back on the race as a whole, Martinez admitted there were still small moments that might have changed his position in the general classification. “Maybe the only regret is not being in the first split with the very best riders,” he said. “But there were also a lot of crashes at the front. Maybe if I had been there, I would have crashed as well.”

Instead, the Bahrain Victorious rider chose to focus on the bigger picture after a week that confirmed his growing consistency. “I’ve improved a lot physically, so that helps. When you have a slightly bad day, it shows a bit less. Maybe it’s also just growing up and improving every year.”

With his first victory of the season now secured, Martinez believes the strong start to 2026 provides a major boost of confidence for the months ahead. “It’s a great start to the season. I really wanted a victory, and now I have one, so I’m even happier.”

The talent also pointed to the strength of the current French generation, which has become increasingly visible at the front of major races, through himself and the likes of Paul Seixas, among others. “French cycling is crazy at the moment. There’s a generation coming through and I think the years ahead are going to be incredible. We all get along well, so it’s really nice to see.”