“My personal objective is the polka dot jersey”: Lenny Martinez brushes aside GC ambitions to hunt for mountain glory and stage wins at the Tour de France

Lenny Martinez will begin his third Tour de France with clear ambitions of winning stages and the polka dot jersey after narrowly missing out on the mountains classification last year. The Bahrain - Victorious climber arrives in strong form despite crashing at the Tour de Suisse and will hunt for stage wins, while teammate Antonio Tiberi will focus on the general classification.

Martinez admitted his preparations were briefly disrupted by a crash at the Tour de Suisse but says he has fully recovered ahead of the Tour. “It’s pretty good, I’m feeling really good. It was a bit complicated after my crash at the Tour de Suisse. But then I was able to recover well, and the Tour de Suisse also helped me recover. My level has come back well,” he said in an interview.

After wearing the polka dot jersey for several stages in 2025, the Frenchman hopes to finish the job this time around.

“I know the team already has a very clear plan for the points. We've talked about it a little for now but not in depth. There are a lot of important stages towards the end of the Tour. I know they have a plan and they're not putting too much pressure on me about it. But of course, all the mountain stages, the hard stages with lots of points, we'll have to go after them. On the easier, flatter stages, I'll have to stay sheltered in the peloton.”

Martinez believes the battle for the mountains classification could depend on how much attention Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard devote to collecting points.

“Pogacar is so far above everyone else... We'll see what happens. If Vingegaard's level gets closer to Pogacar's, if one wins a stage one day and the other the next, maybe the points will be shared a bit more between those two riders. It's true that it's quite complicated, we can see UAE wants to win everything... It comes down to very little. Last year there were stages where I could have taken a few more points and maybe that would have been enough. We'll see.”

Although he continues to develop as a stage racer, Martinez insists the overall classification is not yet his priority.

“I’ve improved in every area: in the mountains, in sprinting, in time trialling, and in endurance. On longer, harder stages, I can stay competitive for longer. The general classification isn't the plan for this Tour. I think I still have plenty of time to target the general classification. For now, stages and the polka dot jersey mean much more to me than the general classification.”

Asked whether there was one stage he particularly dreams of winning, Martinez highlighted one of the Tour's iconic climbs. “I'm not targeting any particular stage, maybe Alpe d'Huez if I had to choose one. Winning any stage would be incredible and, of course, my personal objective is the polka dot jersey, which really means a lot to me.”

Martinez said his development has made him more confident in uphill finishes. “I've improved a lot, even more than in previous years. I've improved everywhere, and now I know I have a bit more confidence. There are still riders who are very explosive, but if I arrive in a small group, especially on an uphill finish, I really believe I can win.”

Within Bahrain - Victorious, Martinez and Antonio Tiberi will have separate objectives in the mountains. “For now, Antonio is more focused on the general classification and I'm focused on stages and the polka dot jersey. After that, I think any rider on the team can win a stage. If we win a stage with any rider, that's fine with me. If I'm in the breakaway and Antonio is fighting for the general classification, they're two different things. I have no idea what will happen.”

Martinez believes he is better prepared to cope with the expected heat. “I’m a little less worried about the heat than last year. I had difficulties then, but this year it's better. I trained in very hot conditions. At the Tour de Suisse it was quite hot on the final stage and everything went well.”

He also acknowledged that the Tour brings a level of attention unlike any other race. “There is definitely more pressure at the Tour than at other races and I think that's normal. It affects everyone. You have to stay in your own bubble, not get too distracted and race it like a normal race. It's a very long race, so it's better to stay in your bubble.”