Life moves pretty fast. Hold on to that bidon, and you might just stay in the race for the KOM.<\/p>\n
There was a moment on the Col du Glandon that turned heads during Stage 18 of the Tour de France\u2014and it had little to do with watts or tactics.<\/p>\n
Lenny Martinez, France\u2019s polka-dot jersey wearer and one of the most promising young climbers in the race, was spotted receiving a suspiciously long series of tows from his team car. The incident, which unfolded on the early slopes of the Glandon, saw Martinez reach for food and bottles from his directeur sportif\u2014though he didn\u2019t seem especially interested in either. Instead, the handoff lingered. Long enough, in fact, for the young Frenchman to regain contact with the breakaway after having lost ground earlier.<\/p>\n
How to cheat in a bike race with the stickiest bottle you\u2019ll ever see<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t go unnoticed. In pro cycling, sticky bottles are something of a tradition. Riders grab a bidon, and the car hangs on just a little longer than the rulebook allows, giving a tired racer a discreet boost. A second or two is generally tolerated. But repeat it a few times\u2014or make it obvious\u2014and it could result in a fine or even relegation. The previous king of sticky bottles, Juan Pedro L\u00f3pez<\/a> was disqualified from Tour Down Under earlier this year.<\/p>\n Makes no sense at all to deduct just 8 point when he got 20 to win the GPM on Col du Glandon. Come on @UCI_cycling<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/lICroEiBok<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Michael Rasmussen (@MRasmussen1974) July 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Martinez collected 20 mountain points on the day, but eight were docked for his sticky bottle antics. A classic case of FAFO. That leaves him with 72 points<\/a>\u2014still good enough for third in the classification. Second is Jonas Vingegaard (89) and Tadej Poga\u010dar, go figure, has 105.<\/p>\n Since Poga\u010dar wears yellow, the polka-dot jersey will go to Vingegaard on Friday.<\/p>\n So, totally worth it? He wouldn\u2019t have won the KOM on Thursday had he been dropped.<\/p>\n But in all seriousness, he is very lucky not to have been disqualified\u2014but hardly surprising given his country of origin, sadly. Martinez is one of the great white hopes and from a long line of cyclists in his family.<\/a>\u00a0 Just classic pro bike racing stuff.<\/p>\n