A French prodigy capable of winning the Tour?

For once, Lenny Martinez stayed sane on Monday during the 1st^Time Stage of the tour of Catalonia. While Tadej Pogacar tried to make an impression from the start, two days after finishing third at Milan-San Remo, the Frenchman stayed comfortably within the peloton. We should probably see more of him this Tuesday on the occasion of 2^E

The stage, which will finish at Walter Ski Resort, at an altitude of more than 2000 meters above sea level.

After measuring himself against Jonas Wingegaard during the Gran Camino, where he was only beaten by the double winner of the Tour de France, the Groupma-FDJ climber will be able to do the same with the Slovenian, another scarecrow in the peloton. mountains. On other terrain, Varois, who was also a Classic Var and winner of the Liguglia earlier in the season, was no laughing matter during the Strade Bianche, finishing eighth in his great debut on the white roads.

“I hope to live with them one day”

Lenny Martinez nevertheless measures the distance that separates him from the two men. “Finishing 15 seconds behind him motivates me, I try to do things well, I hope to be with them one day, In his column he gave secret information about him team. Wingegard is an example. When you see his attacks on Mogul, I was trying to catch his chakra, but he’s so powerful and it lasts so long.” And the featherweight added: “Every time he attacks, you can follow a little bit. But he doesn’t sit back and you have to do it. »

But the gap with Dan is undoubtedly greater on other grounds. “We can’t just look at the gap over the bump. Even if, on a Grand Tour, there is a 10km downhill finish with flat terrain, it might take me a minute because it is stronger in the event”He added: “But maybe in three years, I’ll be able to get close.” If it happens, it will be before, I don’t know. »

Lenny Martinez isn’t afraid to show his ambition. “I want to be one of the best climbers in the world, the one you see on TV during the Tour de France. And one day, to be someone like Winggard, he whispered after hesitation. I set high goals for myself. » Yet he is aware of the way he still has to go. “I don’t see myself winning the Tour de France,” he assured: “For me, for the moment, it’s unattainable, but if it happens every year, I’ll realize it’s less and less. And you approach the thing without thinking much about it.”