CYCLING – Team Bahrain Victorious superstar Lenny Martinez fought his way to an impressive third place overall at the 2026 Tour de Romandie yesterday, while also securing victory in the best young rider classification after six demanding days of racing across the Romandie region of Switzerland.
Following five stages and the opening prologue, Martinez finished on the final podium behind only reigning world champion Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe.
It marks another strong stage-race result for Bahrain Victorious on the Union Cycliste Internationale World Tour after racing aggressively throughout the week.
“It was a good day,” said Martinez. “The team positioned me perfectly before the final climb. I waited for the attacks from Pogacar and Lipowitz, but it was too early for me to follow.
“I also had to watch Nordhagen because he was only seven seconds behind on the GC (general classification). In the end, I defended my place and the white jersey, but those two riders were stronger for the stage win.”
The final leg from Lucens to Leysin was always set to decide – or confirm – the podium places, with the decisive summit finish coming after a long day of racing.
On the final ascent to Leysin, Bahrain Victorious controlled the pace impressively, with Antonio Tiberi and Damiano Caruso delivering a strong lead-out deep into the climb.
Their work reduced the group significantly before Lipowitz launched his attack with around three kilometres remaining, with Pogacar immediately responding.
Behind the leading pair, Martinez faced a direct battle with Jorgen Nordhagen of Team Visma-Lease a Bike, as both third place overall and the white jersey were on the line.
Martinez matched every move and crossed the line on equal time with the Norwegian, preserving both his podium spot and youth classification.
Martinez’s overall podium was built largely on his superb ride in stage one, where he finished third on the day in elite company alongside Pogacar and Lipowitz.
That performance established the time gap he defended all the way to Leysin.
“Today’s result reflects the whole week and the progress our riders are making,” Bahrain Victorious sports director Roman Kreuziger said.
“For many of them, it was the first time racing together in this combination, so I’m very happy with how they managed everything.”
“Lenny may be disappointed with third place, but he should not be. Finishing behind Lipowitz, who was third at the last Tour de France, and Tour winner Pogacar, is a very strong result.”
“We had some moments without luck during the week, but the team stayed committed until the finish and earned a podium place.”
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