On the Col du Glandon, Lenny Martinez didn\u2019t just climb\u2014he clung. Cameras caught the French climber hanging on to a sticky bottle for far too long, and it may have helped him secure all 20 available KOM points. In fact, it wasn\u2019t just one time\u2013which would be bad enough, but three. It also earned him a new nickname: \u201cSticky Martinez.\u201d Granted, that name only exists in the hardworking offices of Canadian Cycling Magazine. But still. Maybe it will catch on.<\/p>\n
But while the Bahrain \u2013 Victorious rider walked away in polka dots, the UCI jury handed down just eight penalty points and a modest fine, leaving some in the sport scratching their heads. Was it because he was French\u2013one of the great white hopes, as it were? Or because he was in polka dots? Either way, many questioned the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only reason he scored those 20 points is because of the sticky bottles,\u201d Sep Vanmarcke said to Sporza<\/a>. \u201cThey should be erased, at minimum. I wouldn\u2019t take him out of the race, but you need to make a clear statement that this can\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Richard Plugge, general manager of Visma-Lease a Bike, echoed the concern. \u201cThis isn\u2019t part of the game,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cIf you\u2019re fighting for a jersey or points, and you\u2019re holding onto a car, that\u2019s not allowed. The rules should be applied evenly.\u201d<\/p>\n Plugge pointed to what he sees as a lack of consistency from the race jury.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be able to trust that the UCI applies its rules properly\u2014and that often doesn\u2019t happen. It creates confusion.\u201d<\/p>\n To underscore his point, Plugge brought up the 5,000 Swiss franc fine handed to Ineos Grenadiers after one of their cars struck a spectator<\/a>. In contrast, Martinez and his team director Roman Kreuziger were each fined just 500 francs for the towing incident.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy such a massive fine in one case and a slap on the wrist in another?\u201d Plugge asked. \u201cThat Ineos car was just driving on the road. Maybe the question should be why fans are in the way in the first place. Shouldn\u2019t the organizers be fined too?\u201d<\/p>\n For Plugge and others, it\u2019s not just about one sticky bottle\u2014it\u2019s about a rulebook that seems too flexible for comfort.<\/p>\n