'Visibility was so bad' - Martinez relies on computer in Tourmalet descent

On the opening flat windy stage in Lille, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious) looked like a duck out of water, constantly being distanced from the bunch and finishing last on the stage, 9:11 behind the winner Jasper Philipsen, and 2:40 behind the second last finisher on the stage. Fast forward two weeks, and Martinez is now completely in his element, thriving in the high mountains of the Pyrenees. 

The Bahrain-Victorious rider regained control of the King of the Mountains classification on stage 14 of the Tour de France, after leading the race solo over the iconic Col du Tourmalet. The 22-year-old, the second youngest rider in the race, attacked clear and tackled the legendary slopes of the Tourmalet alone, with a group of world-class climbers chasing behind but unable to close to gap to the Frenchman on the mountain. 

"Climbing alone, taking the lead at the top of the Tourmalet, it was incredible," said Martinez to France 2.

In a Bahrain-Victorious press release after the stage finish, Martinez stated, "The plan was the first three climbs, then keep my place until the finish, but in the end, the peloton caught me so I conserved my energy in the last 30km."

"I almost took the first three as planned, so I think it was a good day, and above all, I had the legs to be first over the Tourmalet, so I'm content," he added.

The weather at the top of the Tourmalet was treacherous to say the least, and it was a nervous watch seeing Martinez descend the mythical mountain through the mist. Martinez admitted that his visibility was severely hindered and that he had to rely on his tech to help him navigate his way through the descent. 

"At times, visibility was so bad we couldn’t even see the road, so we were using the bike computers to know when the corners were coming!"

Martinez leads the mountains classification with a total of 60 points, and just like Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who leads the points standings, his main threat currently comes in the form of omnipotent Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Pogačar sits only eight points behind Martinez, having been overtaken by the Frenchman in the lead of the classification, courtesy of stage 14's outcome. 

Martinez wore the polka-dots on the stage, but only on behalf of the World Champion who dons yellow. However, Martinez is now the outright leader of the classification and will look to hold it to Paris. There will be the added motivation of replicating the heroic performance of his grandad Mariano, who won a stage and the mountains classification in the 1978 Tour. 

It's clear that the 22-year-old comes from an excellent pedigree; his father, Miguel, who in 2000 became both the World and Olympic mountain bike cross-country champion, whilst his uncles Martin and Yannick were also seasoned professionals.

"I’m happy, but there are so many days where I can lose the jersey. I’ll be on cloud nine if I still have it in Paris!" said Martinez, remaining cautious about his chances.

To win the mountains classification, Martinez will need to perform strongly in the Alps in week three, and also on the stage to Mont Ventoux on stage 16. A stage win atop a summit finish would be ideal for the Frenchman, who has enjoyed a remarkably impressive season so far, winning stages at Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, and Critérium du Dauphiné.

"I’ll try every day to do my best and to take more points like this and play the game on the big stages that are left."