Due to the fact that at the end of last year's Tour de France, Tadej Pogañar (UAE Team Emirates) finally reached an age where he could no longer fight for the classification of young people

After Pogañar's victory in Stage 2 at Vallter, he rose to the winner's podium and became the mountain leader, Point Guard. I wore the Jersey of Mountains of the leader, and of course the overall leader. The jersey missing from the Pougagnar spring Catalan collection was a white jersey with an orange striped lace showing the best young riders.

Instead, the honor was given to Lenny Martínez of Groupama-FDJ, a 9・year・old Frenchman who already on May 20 last year became the youngest GC leader in the history of the Vuelta a Espana. When he returned to the race in the south of the Pyrenees again in Catalonia, he finished in 5th place in Walter.

Martinez's latest achievements come in the year he continues to pop up in the top half of the results page and more. He has already won in the classic Var and Trofeo Laigueglia, as well as the second perhaps most impressive in the O Gran Camiño at the final summit finish behind Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-lease the bike), weighing only 52 kg and often classified as a pure climber. He was 8th in the Strade Bianche.

Now, in a fight for the best young rider in Catalonia and the whole, Martinez then told reporters, "At the start of the stage I was as great as all that

"There was already a little division, and then I went back to it and I tried to attack several times, but the level was really high. "It was very difficult," he said of Poganyal, which will attack about 7km from the summit.

"Then Mikel Landa strongly went for it in the end," he added about Landa taking the second on stage and moving to the second overall. "I tried to be with him, but I couldn't, so I just hung up there and stuck all the way up to the finish."

Martinez, who was visibly constantly trembling when he spoke to reporters, at least in terms of temperature, it was one of his toughest days on the bike

"At the summit, I never felt so cold, I deliberately changed my gear with my hands 100 times." I must have been trying to get some feeling back to them but I couldn't make it so cold. It was a really difficult situation."

Given such a great performance at such a young age, there has already been a lot of talk about Martínez cancelling his contract next year, regardless of the temperature (and at O Gran Camiño Martinez in Galicia, we are impressed by even more rain and sometimes cold weather). It was. Even before his latest show of climbing strength, Martinez has naturally received some hefty offers for his services next year. 

Bahrain's victory is reportedly among those keen to sign him, but as Martinez told L'Equipe on Tuesday, he will still be available next year

"The problem is that although many are very excited about these rumors, we still have very little on May 3." "I think it's a good idea," he said. "I don't want to think about it now, I have a season to do. The contract time is 8 months.

"It's normal for people to be interested in me, including other teams. When you win a race, that's what happens in cycling. I see it as more positive than negative.”