Lenny Martinez is one of the hopes of French cycling. He will take part in his first Grand Tour on Saturday. He gives us in this great interview his feelings, their impressions and expectations. He should give us a report on his race at the end of September.. The comments were collected on 6 August
“I feel pretty good”
Cycling Times : Hello Lenny, how do you feel at the dawn of this first Vuelta ?
lenny martinez : I feel pretty good, It's okay, the feelings are good. It's not the end of the season, but almost for me I have the impression. Every year I know that the sensations are better and better over the season. There it's going well so we'll see at the Vuelta.
C.T. : your form, how is she situated ? You recovered well after your crash in the Tour of Poland ?
L.M. : I still have pain, honestly, for the moment. So maybe I'll take exams to do a CT scan in the week. To see if it's not broken. Normally, if it was broken, I was told that they didn't think I could have done the steps after. So I think it will pass. My form is also not much above a few months ago. But she is not below. so she is good.
C.T. : What actually happened ?
L.M. : It's the ass that hit first. I have a subluxation of the coccyx/sacrum. Something like that. It's still pretty serious. In fact, every time I raise, assis, or that I put a little bit of force, I was sick. I hope it will pass anyway. Normally it's not broken so it's fine.
C.T. : We cross fingers.
editor's note : Lenny has recovered since our interview. He confirmed to us today that all is well
S'aligner sur la Vuelta, a story of more than 8 month
C.T. : Why the Vuelta and not another Grand Tour ?
L.M. : I think the Vuelta is not bad. Because the Giro, it's a little too early in the season for the first year pro. And the Tower, it's a bit too high. The Vuelta arrives right at the end of the season. I would have almost done a year at the World Tour. So it just happens. I think it's a good Grand Tour to start with.
C.T. : It's you who chose or it's the team ?
L.M. : I didn't know at all if I was going to do a Grand Tour this year. Because it's still early. It was the team that had already told me that this winter ; that there was a possibility of doing the Vuelta. So why not ?
C.T. : You did your first internship at altitude with the professionals, a little less than a month ago, in Tignes. How did it go and are you already feeling the effects ?
L.M. : For the moment, I don't know if it's the effects of the altitude or if it's the training. I try to do just about everything well to perform. So, for now i don't know. Normally, there was a time when we must have been less well. It must have been at the Tour of Poland.
I don't know when it will arrive. It may have already passed without me seeing it. But for now it's ok. I think I will see the effects of the altitude coming soon.
C.T. : Does the pressure rise differently ?
L.M. : A little bit. I put it on myself because it's a Grand Tour. I think it's more about doing 3 racing weeks. I don't know at all how it's going to be. Déjà, when we do a week, at the end, it's starting to do.. So 3 times that, it's completely different i think. I have already done great things this year and I will try to do more in the Vuelta. If it goes well, as I said, it's more ; so much the better ! And then if it goes a little less well, I'm still in my freshman year. It must not be forgotten, I'm here to learn too.
A Tour of Spain, multiple goals
C.T. : This summer, Marc Madiot was asked about the team's Vuelta goals. He confirmed to us that it would be the young people who would do the Vuelta, and told us that it would be learning before the results. Do you agree with his statements ?
L.M. : Oh sure. It was like this year. It was more “learning before results”. After, so much the better ! There are results that happened at the same time. We, it suits us and there will be a young team but there will still be experienced people to help us too. We'll just see how it goes.
C.T. : One year ago, you told us, about your goals, I quote "In 2, 3 years, maybe the Grand Tours, try to perform, follow, win races, stage victories on Grand Tours ». Do you consider yourself ahead of your goals? ? You have already won at the top of Mont Ventoux.
L.M. : I didn't expect to win this year. There are a lot of pro riders who never win in the pros. Because the level is really raised. Then, win this year, It was great. I take things as they come. There's the Vuelta coming. If it goes well, so much the better. And then if I have a little trouble. It will be learning. It won't be my last Grand Tour.
It's learning.
C.T. : What a successful Vuelta would look like for you ?
L.M. : It depends. There is “successful” and “very very successful”. I think “successful” would be, already finished the Vuelta, to have been regular, to perform well, to be there and to be at my level level. I don't know yet what to expect, if it's the general or if it's aiming for a stage victory. And then the “very very successful”, it would be a stage win or something like that. I think that every rider who takes the start of the Vuelta, think about it anyway. Because everything is possible, but there, it's something big again. It's still a victory on a Grand Tour. It wouldn't be too bad either.
C.T. : So no particular aiming step ?
L.M. : There are some nice ones though, but OK… I think if there is a stage victory, it will be necessary to go in the breakaway because, with the riders who will be at the start, it's going to be complicated. If I beat 'em on a stage playing general, that means I can win the Vuelta. So I think it's not possible.
C.T. : So the objective would be to leave from the perspective of a general, and if you waste time, try the steps.
L.M. : Voilà, that's it, I think. In my opinion, we will not waste time voluntarily at the beginning. Finally, moi. And then, if at some point I really waste too much time, switcher. But there, try to waste as little time as possible, in my opinion, at first.
C.T. : Do you have the polka dot jersey in the corner of your head ?
L.M. : It depends. […] He confided in the microphone of the Colombian cycling federation, you win a stage and suddenly you take a lot of points at the top and there it becomes a little more of a goal over the Vuelta. But from the start of the Vuelta, it's not a goal at all.
A race apart
C.T. : In our previous interview, you told us that in the Conti, there was a great atmosphere, no rivalry. How is the atmosphere between you and the other runners before the start ?
L.M. : Globally, I think there is a really good atmosphere, whether it's with the guys who are a bit older and young. And with the young people we have already done a lot of shopping together, for cohesion, so we get along really well. Everyone has a specific role. You can't go to the Vuelta with someone who only thinks of himself when he's going to be a teammate. All this is not possible. So here you have to have the right people on Vuelta too.
C.T. : Did your victory at the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge improve your place in the peloton a little? ? You are a little more considered now than before or not at all ?
L.M. : I may not realize it. I do not know. I'm not in other people's heads, but i still think so. When you win with the pros you immediately stand out in the peloton. And then I got some results here, over there. I think the fact that I'm young, people start to know me. So, yeah, I think, in my opinion. But OK, after, I don't have a VIP place in the peloton either (laughter).
C.T. : No, of course. And you, at the level of your esteem, of your self-confidence ?
L.M. : Yeah, it sure made it increase. But then you have to keep your head on your shoulders. He confided in the microphone of the Colombian cycling federation, before, a 5th place was great. Now, a 5th place, I tell myself : “I could have won”. All the objectives are raised and we say to ourselves : "I've already won one., then I can win several”.
C.T. : Thanks to Lenny for his availability
