“When I was a kid, I dreamed about this”: Lenny Martinez stuns with 5th overall in breakout Tour de France
CyclingMonday, 27 July 2026 at 03:00
Lenny Martinez arrived at the 2026 Tour de France targeting stage wins and the polka dot jersey. Three weeks later, the Bahrain Victorious climber leaves Paris with something even more valuable: a fifth place overall that firmly establishes the 23-year-old among the sport's elite.
Martinez exceeds every expectation
Martinez safely navigated the cobbled finale on the Champs-Élysées, where Mathieu van der Poel claimed a spectacular solo victory, before celebrating the biggest result of his career. The Frenchman admitted relief was his main emotion after making it through the final stage without incident.
“There was definitely a lot of relief. You're always afraid of crashing on the cobbles, it would be so frustrating on the final stage, so I was very careful. I'm really happy. Fifth place in the Tour is incredible,” he said in words gathered by Cyclism Actu.
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Just three weeks earlier, Martinez would never have believed such a result was possible. “Oh yes, I would have signed for that immediately! Honestly, I wouldn't even have believed it because, for me, it's incredible to be among the five best riders in the world at the Tour. When I was a kid, I dreamed about this, so it's unbelievable.”
Before the race, Martinez had spoken openly about chasing mountain stages and the King of the Mountains classification rather than the general classification. Now, he admits a top-five finish surpasses anything he had imagined.
“It's incredible. Honestly, I never thought I'd be capable of doing this in my life. I'm just so happy. Of course, there will be much higher expectations now. But I'm happy. What's achieved is achieved.”
Lenny Martinez on stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France
Vauquelin takes positives despite setbacks
For Kévin Vauquelin, the Tour unfolded very differently from his breakthrough 2025 campaign. The Netcompany INEOS rider arrived at the race after battling illness and then suffered further setbacks, including an early puncture in the opening time trial. He eventually finished 36th overall, with sixth-place finishes in Foix and Belfort representing his best stage results.
Despite the disappointment, Vauquelin believes there were encouraging moments. “I came into this Tour without the form I was hoping for, mainly because of illness. I fought throughout the race to find good sensations again, but that's never easy during a Tour de France.”
“There were still moments where I had good legs, and I'm satisfied with that. I had two opportunities to fight for a stage victory, even though I only finished sixth. Just having the chance to compete for a Tour stage win is something exceptional.”
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However, the third week proved particularly difficult as fatigue and illness caught up with him. “Towards the end of the third week, my body started telling me to stop. I felt like I wasn't far from getting sick again, and it became more and more difficult.”
“There are good lessons to take away and a lot of resilience. You can't always get everything you want. Last year everything went perfectly: no setbacks, no illness, nothing. This year was completely different. You don't lose, you learn.”
The Frenchman also dismissed suggestions that his team's repeated punctures were caused by equipment. “It's simply bad luck. Several teams use exactly the same tyre brand, so there's nothing to look at there. Sometimes you have seasons where nothing happens, and other years every bit of bad luck comes your way.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- And so you are an idiot.
MarkFour27-07-2026 - What did Seixas say to Tadej at the finish? He said "You're insane. You can be my domestique anytime you need a ride in my era.."FredMan27-07-2026
- He’s 26 and has won multiple world championships, 2 gold medals, a couple monuments, classics, one week stage races and a GT. He has so much more to win. And he will. He’s such a fighter.mij27-07-2026
- Absolute legend.mrvco27-07-2026
- You’re 100% correct. He’s the definition of an alpha and won’t be satisfied unless he gets it all.mij27-07-2026
- Don’t know cycling? Speak for yourself. Although armchair - I’m guilty and charged lolmij27-07-2026
- But he got 2nd and was able to follow wheels. Something to be said for that.mij27-07-2026
- Maybe if Jonas could handle a bike he would have gotten second. Skills matter. Jonas has none. He is a crash waiting to happen. Watch him going over a finish line trying to put both arms up. Remco keeps improving.mij27-07-2026
- The new crop of mountain bikers are so much better than him. His fitness is tops. But their skills are off the charts. He will have a tough time competing. When he won his world cups years ago the courses were tame compared to now.mij27-07-2026
- Wow he’s amazing. He can go so deep. Glasgow. Amstel. And now this.mij27-07-2026
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