After being involved in one of the 2025 Tour de France's most controversial moments, Lenny Martinez has gone into more detail about his lack of intention to "cheat" when he gained a significant advantage using a sticky bottle, and offered a reaction to the criticism he received.
Martinez was filmed by TV cameras as he struggled up the Col du Glandon on stage 18 of this year's Tour, and took three sticky bottles in quick succession from DS Roman Kreuziger to make it up to the group he'd previously been in.
As the criticism flowed in on social media, the race jury's decisions from the stage followed, with Martinez – who was wearing the King of the Mountains jersey at the time of the incident – receiving a relatively light fine of eight KOM points, 200 CHF and 15 UCI points, alongside a 10-second penalty.
Some called for Martinez to be disqualified from the race altogether, while others also made their opinion clear, including retired French pro and three-time Tour stage winner Thibaut Pinot, who simply replied with a vomit emoji to a video of the incident on X.
"Of course, it's a bit upsetting, given everything that's being said on social media. Even though I try not to look at it too much, I stumbled across it," said Martinez in an extensive interview with RMC Sport this week.
"Afterwards, I know I didn't intend to cheat. When I watch the video, I think there are things that don't add up. But it's also complicated when you're on a mountain pass.
"The first stupid thing I did was take energy gels when I didn't need them. I took the gels thinking they'd add extra weight, even though the summit was only three kilometers away, and besides, I didn't need them. There's also a lack of clear thinking about the effort involved. People don't understand that aspect."
At the time, his DS Kreuziger also took the responsibility upon himself, telling ITV the next morning that "Who is driving the car [has the responsibility probably], so I take this fully on me. He got a sticky bottle, I agree, it was a mistake."
Martinez himself said he was at peace with what happened and the backlash, and had little to say in the way of Pinot's response, only that it confused him.
"Many people watch the Tour de France and think that simply hanging on is cheating, even though you're allowed four seconds. In any case, I know I didn't intend to cheat," reiterated the Frenchman.
"I'm at peace with myself. As for Thibaut Pinot, I don't have much to say; I don't know why he reacted that way."
Future as a GC rider and returning to the Tour
Aside from his controversial moment, Martinez was riding his first Tour with Bahrain Victorious and second of his career, where he was expected to impress as a French hope of the future and potential stage winner.
That didn't quite materialise, as he struggled to stay consistent in the mountains and get into the right breakaways that fought for stage glory as the race went on, though he did learn a lot about what he needs to work on for future editions.
"I still take away some positives from my first Tour de France, with breakaways and the battle for the polka dot jersey," said.
"However, I realized I wasn't yet at the level to compete for a stage win, but I think that could happen in the future. This year, I was more involved in the Tour than in my first year, and that gives me confidence for the future.
"The level is so high. I also think that great champions like Pogacar are really consistent, and the rest of us are a bit less so."
With a fair wake-up call from his second Tour and first season as a marquee signing with Bahrain, 22-year-old Martinez is hungry to kick on into his fourth year in the WorldTour, as both a stage hunter and potential GC rider.
"This season, I was expected to be aiming for the GC, but in the end, since I wasn't consistent, it allowed me to focus on stage wins. Ultimately, it was a blessing in disguise," said Martinez.
"For now, it's good not to be too focused on the GC and to target stage wins. I'm very happy with this approach, and I'm really enjoying trying to win, like I did this year. We'll see what next season brings."
