Martinez Holds Second Overall as Volta a Catalunya Concludes

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Team Bahrain Victorious’ Lenny Martinez capped off an impressive week in Spain, securing second place overall at the 105th Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and claiming the best young rider jersey after yesterday’s final stage.

Martinez entered the 95.1 km Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona as the second-placed rider in the general classification, proudly wearing the white jersey after a stellar performance on the summit of Queralt during Stage 6. Stage 7 promised a close battle: seven laps of Montjuïc, each including the punishing Alt del Castell de Montjuïc.

From the start, the pace was relentless. Attacks flew from all directions, but Martinez stayed glued to the front, handling every surge and climb with calm precision. Despite repeated accelerations and punishing ascents, the Frenchman held firm in second place overall.

In a thrilling reduced-bunch sprint, Australian rider Brady Gilmore (NSN), racing for the team owned by former Barcelona footballer Andres Iniesta, edged out Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to claim the stage win. Meanwhile, overall leader Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) controlled the front group, securing his first Volta a Catalunya title with the poise of a champion.

Martinez crossed the line more than a minute behind Vingegaard, cementing his second-place finish. Bahrain Victorious teammates also delivered strong results: Afonso Eulalio cracked the top 10, Santiago Buitrago finished 11th, and Jakob Omrzel, Rainer Kepplinger, Matevz Govekar, and Nikias Arndt completed the stage.

With the race concluded, Martinez comfortably retained the best young rider jersey ahead of Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar Team). As the final laps of Barcelona unfolded, the 2026 Volta a Catalunya drew to an exciting close — a week of relentless racing that highlighted Martinez’s talent and consistency on the international stage.