Martinez's anomalous training approach: "For the average rider, that's a lot, but my body works that way"

It was undoubtedly one of the standout transfers of the past cycling season: Lenny Martinez's move to Bahrain Victorious. The young and talented climber seemed to be thriving at Groupama-FDJ, but the 21-year-old Frenchman consciously chose a new challenge. His new team has lofty ambitions, and 2025 promises to be an exciting year.

For Martinez, 2024 was a year filled with successes, although the second half didn’t go as smoothly. “I started the season strong. The end of the season was less successful, but overall, it was a very good year. There were still plenty of victories. I’m really happy with what I’ve achieved. At the beginning of the year, I didn’t think I’d accomplish so much,” he said in an interview with Eurosport.

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English an ever-shrinking problem for Martinez

In 2025, the Frenchman is focused on building upon the strong foundation he has already laid. “The goal is to make progress because that’s important when you’re young like me. Then we’ll aim to win races and perform even better in general classifications, for example, in one-week stage races.”

The move to Bahrain Victorious marks an important step in Martinez's career. The 21-year-old rider, at least, enjoyed the warm welcome. "At first, it wasn’t easy because everything is in English. Even though I speak a bit of English, it takes some time to adjust. As the days go by, it starts to feel better. When you spend two weeks with the team, you already speak better English by the end of it. So it’s okay, it’s cool," said Martinez.

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A foreign team had long been a goal for Martinez

According to Martinez, the decision to join Bahrain Victorious was a well-thought-out choice. "I wanted a change. I knew that at some point in my career, I wanted to go abroad. But I didn’t know when. Now I had the opportunity with Bahrain. There are a lot of good things here. There’s a strong focus on climbing. There are also multiple general classification riders, like Antonio Tiberi, who finished fifth in the Giro d’Italia, and Santiago Buitrago, who made the top 10 in the Tour de France, I believe. So, we’re going to keep improving and try to take the team to a higher level."

Although he is new to the team, Martinez is already seen as a potential leader. He, however, remains level-headed about this responsibility. "I come in with the label of a leader. But I’ll just train as I’m used to, give my best in races and training sessions. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. I always give my best, and we’ll see."

Team boss Milan Erzen has high hopes and dreams of securing a podium finish in the Tour de France with a French rider. For Martinez, this doesn’t add extra pressure. "No, not really. I dream of that myself. But for now, it’s still a pretty distant goal. There are many steps to take before I can start thinking about the podium."

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Martinez trains less than other riders because that’s what his body needs

To reach the top, Martinez is willing to try new methods. "First, by doing more altitude camps. Of course, I did altitude camps with my previous team, but I think I’ll do more of them now. I also have a new coach. This gives the body a different stimulus. Even though I was only with FDJ for 2–3 years, changing everything can help the body continue to grow."

His training approach differs from that of many other riders. "I don’t train a lot. Of course, I train, but much less than some others. I need a lot of rest periods during the season. Last year, I often took a week off. For the average rider, that’s a lot, but that’s how my body works. I actually see it as a good thing."

Martinez has a clear vision for his career. For now, he’s focusing on smaller goals, like winning a stage in a Grand Tour. "That would be great. In the long term, I’m thinking about the Tour. In two or three years, we’ll see whether I go for the general classification or stage wins. We’ll figure that out when the time comes," concludes the climber.

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