A transfer that had been agreed on behind the scenes already a while back this summer, which has now been made official. On the fourth day of this transfer season Bahrain - Victorious announced the key signing of young climber Lenny Martínez who they hope to support into Tour de France glory in the upcoming years.
Groupama - FDJ made the effort to keep the 21-year old on board but it proved too difficult. Already in May it was reported that he would likely make the switch to Bahrain and that his salary would increase from around €200.000 per season to close to a million, a number Groupama could not match. Team Visma | Lease a Bike was also said to be in the running for his signing, but have in the meantime gotten Simon Yates as another strong climber added to their ranks.
Bahrain hence get, on a three-year deal, the talented climber who has won five races this season including the Mercan'Tour Classic. Martínez impressed in his Grand Tour debut last year, taking the lead of the race at the Vuelta a España in the day that Sepp Kuss won and made his bid for race victory. He dropped out of contention only in the second week but the potential for a future contender was visible. This year the plan was the same but likely amidst the transfer news, the French team decided to take him to the Tour de France where he failed to be a relevant racer in the mountains, never close to his best form.
“I am extremely happy to join Team Bahrain Victorious for the next three seasons. The solid project around the team and myself convinced me," Martínez said in a press release. "Together, we have great ambitions, and I am convinced we will achieve great things. I would like to thank the Groupama FDJ team, who accompanied me during my first years in the professional ranks.”
He joins a team with plenty other talented climbers such as Pello Bilbao, Santiago Buitrago, Antonio Tiberi and Damiano Caruso at the very least, who already have a contract with the team for next season. “When we started this project in 2017, we dreamed of achieving a podium at the Tour de France with a French rider from our team. We believe Lenny gives us that chance," team director Milan Ezren added.
"His talent, dedication, and spirit align perfectly with our team’s vision. France has a rich history of great champions in our sport, and we want to help Lenny create his own legacy in French cycling. We are excited to support him in reaching his full potential and achieving great things together.”
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