Martinez was docked 8 climbing points, 15 UCI points, and slapped with a 200 CHF fine after cameras caught him taking three way-too-long tows from his Bahrain-Victorious team car Thursday.<\/p>\n
The\u201cgreat hope of French cycling<\/a>\u201d rolled out for Thursday\u2019s calf-snapper stage to Col de la Loze level on mountains points with Tadej Poga\u010dar and decked out in polka everything.<\/p>\n He had one mission \u2013 mop up mountain points and push past Poga\u010dar in the classification.<\/p>\n A career-topping trip to the Tour de France podium was at stake.<\/p>\n But when the spindly climber was dropped off the back of the break on the Col du Glandon, his mountain mission looked in peril.<\/p>\n But like so many times in the Tour de France, sticky bottles saved the day.<\/p>\n Lenny Martinez loses 8 KOM points, 15 UCI points, a 10 second penalty and fined 200CHF for his sticky bottle(s) on Stage 18 at the Tour de France. #TDF2025<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/qDv8QMKsm5<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) July 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Three of the most blatant tows from the team car pulled Martinez back to the group in time for him to bag 20 mountain points and \u201cvirtually\u201d top the mountain classification.<\/p>\n And as if that wasn\u2019t audacious enough, Martinez didn\u2019t even seem so thirsty.<\/p>\n Those drinks didn\u2019t even make it out of the team car.<\/p>\n Great hope of French cycling comes unstuck Sticky bottles are a common \u201cthing\u201d at the Tour de France.<\/p>\n But there are varying levels of adhesiveness.<\/p>\n A small social media explosion meant that there was no chance Martinez\u2019s superglue-tight bottles would go without sanction.<\/p>\n Martinez and his team director were later cited under \u201cirregular feed\u201d regulations.<\/p>\n That triple sticky bottle by Lenny Martinez should 100% be penalised.<\/p>\n Bro threw the gel straight back into the car. #TDF2025<\/a><\/p>\n
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Martinez will be back in regular team issue kit Friday. (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images))<\/p>\n