In an unexpected decision to send talented young climber Lenny Martinez to the 2024 Tour de France, Grupama-FDJ team manager Marc Madiotte explained that the race will be decided in "three or four days" and riders like Martinez He explained that this was because he felt that the race would be decided in "three or four days" and that riders like Martinez would have the advantage.

Martinez, who will turn 21 during the Tour, will make his debut in the Grand Boucle with GC leader and teammate David Gaudoux. Unlike Gaudou, however, they will not be aiming for overall victory.

Madiou explained to L'Équipe on Tuesday that he was a relatively late addition to the Groupama lineup, and that the Tour de France will be a good opportunity for the Dane, who has been out of the race for a long time after a serious injury in a crash in April, to get back in shape before defending champion He expects GC favorite Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) to mount a strong early attack to "blow away" defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Vismaris A Bikes) before the Dane returns to form after a long absence from the race due to a serious crash in April.

If that happens, riders like Martinez who are not interested in GC will be able to make the most of what Madio calls a "gift certificate" in week 3, when the UAE, which controls the race, is likely to allow a breakaway.

"The Tour will be over in three or four days," Madio told a French newspaper.

"Pogachar will tear the situation apart and blow up Vingegaard. He's going to make sure that he (Vingegaard) doesn't get back in great shape instead of him."

"I'm not sure if he's going to be able to do that, but he's not going to be able to do that.

"So in the third week, they will give out "exit gift certificates" just like in the Giro d'Italia, where Pogachar crushed his opponent" - vouchers given out to festival-goers after the last concert, which here means a runaway stage win.

Under these circumstances, Madio said, a rider like Martinez would be ideal to ride the breakaway, while Gaudou, who has finished in the top five on GC, could stay focused on the overall.

"Why not put Martinez in the Tour? Madio asked. 'He was on the long list I sent to the ASO. 'He said he wanted to go to the Tour. Lenny said he wanted to go to the Tour.

Martinez has gone from strength to strength this season. Most notable was the Trofeo Laigueglia 1. pro race in Italy, where he also finished eighth in the ultra-tough Strade Bianche.

With six wins out of a total of 11 stage race victories, he is not only the most successful rider in the Groupama-FDJ, but he is also an impressively consistent finisher despite his relative inexperience. He was second behind Vingegaard in the Gran Camino, seventh overall in the Volta a Catalunya, and eighth overall in the Tour de Romandie.

Martinez was slow at the Tour de Suisse, finishing 33rd overall, but did well in the final time trial, finishing 6th.

"The doctor gave me the go-ahead. He hasn't raced much," claimed Madio.

"He's won a lot" - in 33 days of competition to date in 2024 - "but he hasn't raced that much." [The Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France are two different things. If he does end up competing in Grupetto, it won't be a very serious matter.

This season, Martinez originally planned to compete in the Vuelta a España for the second time. He held the lead in GC for two days.

Martinez has not been completely ruled out of this year's Vuelta, Madio said in a separate interview with cyclismactu.net, adding that he will "go step by step." "

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