Lenny Martinez struggled behind Vingegaard: "Never thought I would win the sprint"

Lenny Martinez surprised everyone on Sunday afternoon with the stage win at Paris-Nice. The 22-year-old Frenchman was able to follow Jonas Vingegaard on the climbs and on the flat, much to his own amazement, before sealing the victory in the sprint. "I had a really hard time, even on the flat. He is so aerodynamic," the Frenchman said afterwards to Cycling Pro Net.

"I was really stressed going into the sprint. I know Jonas has a very high top speed when he sprints, so I never thought I could win a sprint against him. When we got closer to the finish line, I saw the line I had to take and decided to launch my sprint. For a moment I thought I had started my sprint too far out because I saw a shadow coming up behind me, but in the end, it worked."

Much more consistent
For Martinez, the stage win at Paris-Nice feels like a breakthrough. According to the Bahrain Victorious rider, the victory shows that he has become much more consistent. "This proves that I have changed a lot, that I have really evolved as a rider. I am much more steady now, I think. At least during this week at Paris-Nice, because I was good every day."

"This morning I was already fifth in the overall classification and felt satisfied, but still thought something was missing. Then, there was that win. I’m very happy. It’s a fact that as a young rider I still have lots of growth ahead, and you can see it: it’s getting a little better each time," he continued.

"For me, this is a fantastic start to the season. I was chasing a victory, and now I have it."