Lenny Martinez is one of the greatest French hopefuls of his generation. He comes from a family of cyclists.. His father was notably titled at the Olympic Games in 2000 by mountain bike. Lenny is coming off a good year with the continental team of Groupama-FDJ and will join professional training next season. He agreed to answer our questions in this interview.
Close family and the Groupama-FDJ family
Cycling Times : Hello Lenny, cycling, it's a family story for you. Your father was world champion and Olympic mountain bike champion in 2000, your grandfather's polka dot jersey from the Tour de France in 1978 especially, your uncle was also a professional cyclist. Has cycling always taken an important place in your daily life? ? It was already a passion for you when you were a child ? And why did you start cycling ?
lenny martinez : Yeah, I always bathed in it, so it was natural. I didn't necessarily ride a bike. Finally, I was doing, but at the age of 14 I came to live with my father. And there, I started to really ride a bike. A little more than before. I bathed in the bike with the family so it was something natural. I always wanted to do this eventually.
C.T. : And suddenly, is there a certain pressure for you to have to do as well as your family or not at all ?
L.M. : Non, there is no pressure. There are many people who ask me, but to match my father, it's going to be complicated. I will go my way, then we'll see. Everyone is different, we'll see. But there's no pressure at all, non.
C.T. : By these family ties, you have been exposed to specialized media for a long time. Did it add extra pressure to you ? If yes, how do you handle it ?
L.M. : The media, It's okay, since it was already quite early. […]. I'm getting used to it little by little. It's true that sometimes, especially when you finish the races and there are interviews at the finish, it takes a little time. But after that it's part of the thing so it's ok. It doesn't bother me. It's part of the bike.
C.T. : This year you were in the Conti Groupama, you had first done two years in the juniors. Can you explain to us how the differences between these two categories translate into your daily life? ? Whether on the training load, coaching that is more professional, … By going to the FDJ, how is the difference between junior and hope ?
L.M. : It is sure that there is a little more training […], sometimes small courses before big races. There are more training sessions than in junior, but it's still the same principle.
It is true that the conti is still very professional. When I see how it was before and how I'm still, it's totally different. We are very well supervised. Everything is great, even outside the races, so it's really good. Occasionally, I feel like I haven't progressed, but I think so.
If I had put myself as a junior, on a race hopes this year, I couldn't have done what I did. So I think I made progress, but i don't see it.
C.T. : In 2022, the continental team Groupama FDJ has had its best year yet : 19 victories and a very impressive overall level. Would you say that the level of your teammates helps you to surpass yourself and become better ?
L.M. : Of course it puts me in a good spiral when everyone wins. It's really good. Then it gives you confidence. The guys on the winning team, we sometimes see them outside the races. It is enough that there is one who is not well in training, then he wins the following weekend. Therefore, is that dit […] : “if I am not well in training, […], it's not lost". We do not see that the victories, we also see the other aspect of the bike, so it puts the team in a good spiral.
C.T. : So there is a good atmosphere, you are pretty tight. There is not too much rivalry between you ?
L.M. : Non, there is no rivalry at all.
“I know that in World Tour, I have no place on the timelines”
C.T. : Now let's talk about the time trial. You have a small frame and you are rather light. It does not prevent you at all from performing in this exercise. You also finished 5th in the championship of France hope, what is truly honorable. Do you consider your profile similar to that of Evenepoel ? You are more of a roller climber ?
L.M. : Moi, I will become more of a climber. If I did lap times in the World Tour, I'll take a little slap. After, Remco [ndlr : Evenepoel] is much heavier than me. I think in the future, if I gain weight while developing, and gaining strength too, I could become that profile. For the moment, I know that in World Tour, I have no place on the timelines.
C.T. : Currently, What place does the chrono take in your daily life? ?
L.M. : I try to do it once or twice a week.. Whether in recovery or out of endurance. And then, I do some exercises before important time trials. I don't prepare it like a specialist. But it's good to do it every week to keep the position and not to forget too much.
[…]
In the next part of the interview, Lenny Martinez will tell us about the major races he has participated in this season and what he remembers.
Interview conducted with Julie Maugeais
