"No Tour de France in 2024" - Lenny Martinez confirms intent to target Vuelta a Espana again this year
Cycling
One of the big hopes for the future of French Grand Tour cycling, Lenny Martinez looks set to continue to avoid the pressures of the Tour de France in 2024.
"No Tour de France in 2024. I spoke about it with the team, I didn't want to do the Tour just to do the Tour. I still have 10-15 years ahead of me to do it," the 20-year-old explained in conversation with Cyclism'Actu from the Groupama-FDJ team presentation.
Instead of the Tour de France, the Vuelta a Espana looms once again for the diminutive Frenchman in 2024. After his impressive showing at last year's edition of the race, even wearing the Red Jersey at one point, hopes are high that Martinez can be even better this time around.
“I wanted to return to La Vuelta, with David Gaudu. I think I will gain even more experience than in 2023 since I will be with a leader like David, who has already done the Tour," he explains. "I still have great things to achieve in La Vuelta. Who will be leader? I think we will both be. We will see depending on the race circumstances.”
"There are all these one-week races, where I'm going to try to get into the top 10 in the general classification. I failed this year, I finished 12th, 12th, 15th... The goal is to do better than in 2023 and to turn a corner," continues Martinez who is expected by many to eventually step into the gap left in the team by the retiring Thibaut Pinot.
"Obviously, expectations are high, people are always waiting for more," he concludes. "I will continue to cycle as I am used to doing. Do the best possible and often it works very well."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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