‘It’s crazy to be on his wheel, even though I’m a pro’ - Martinez surprises himself by following Pogacar in Romandie
Lenny Martinez was one of the standout riders on the opening stage of the Tour de Romandie, holding his own alongside Tadej Pogacar when the road went up. Another sign that the young Frenchman can compete with the very best in the mountains.
The Frenchman was the only rider able to respond when the world champion attacked on the Ovronnaz climb, and he managed to hold his wheel all the way to the summit. Florian Lipowitz later bridged across on the ascent, before Jørgen Nordhagen rejoined after the descent to form a four rider group that would go on to contest the stage in Martigny.
While Pogačar ultimately took the win and the race lead, Martinez came away with something just as telling, confirmation that he could match the very best, at least for a moment.
“It’s the first time I managed to follow him,” Martinez said afterwards to CyclingPro.net. “It’s always strange to be on his wheel. Even though I’m a pro, I watch him on TV and think it must be crazy to be there and today I was.”
It was not the first time in the 2026 season that Martinez took the spotlight. At Paris–Nice, he had already been the only rider able to follow Jonas Vingegaard on the final stage, before beating him in the sprint.
It came as a surprise to Martinez, who had anticipated a more gradual return to rhythm after his recent efforts.
“I knew I had recovered well after La Flèche Wallonne, but I thought the first stages would be a bit difficult,” he explained. “Following him today, I surprised myself a bit on the climb.”
Martinez not only followed Pogačar’s initial acceleration but also contributed to the pace in a small leading group that held off the chasers all the way to the finish. By the time they reached Martigny, however, the effort had taken its toll.
“I was completely empty in the sprint, I had nothing left,” he said. “But it was a really nice first stage.”
The final kilometres offered another insight, not just into Martinez’s limits, but also into Pogačar’s composure under pressure. As cooperation faltered and fatigue set in, the Slovenian remained calm at the front.
“I was really at my limit in the final,” Martinez said. “But he stayed calm. He didn’t get annoyed. He was chill.”
With this performance, Lenny Martinez now sits third overall, 16 seconds behind Pogačar, after finishing 25th in Tuesday’s prologue.
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