Lenny Martinez sanctioned for a “glued can”, a prohibited and risky practice

Lenny Martinez caught in the act. During the queen of the publishing stage, Thursday, July 24, the French of the Bahrain Victorious training – then carrying by proxy of the polka dots of Tadej Pogacar – was filmed in the process of using the “glued bogus” method during the ascent of the Col du Glandon. This technique consists in hanging on long seconds to a cans stretched by its sports director, in this case Romanesque Kreuziger, during a supplies to the car and therefore to benefit from a favorable momentum especially during an ascent.

Already appeared in difficulty in the off-category collar, at the top of which he recovered 20 precious points by passing through the race at the Grand Prix of the mountain, he hung on three times with the tense can, the third time very long and without recovering the object at the end. An image that made a lot of talk, the ex -runner Thibaut Pinot – his former teammate at Groupama -FDJ – even reacted on social networks by splitting an emoji vomiting under the sequence.

After the arrival of this 18th stage won by the Australian Ben O'Connor (Jayco Alula), Martinez was sanctioned with eight withdrawal points in the ranking of the best climber, a fine of 200 Swiss francs, 15 penalty points in the UCI ranking and a 10 -second withdrawal to general. In The regulation of the Tour de France (PDF document)article 7 specifies: “The aspiration and training by a motor vehicle, the 'stroller', the 'retroposseet', the 'trove' and the supporting of support are prohibited in all circumstances.“

In the past, several runners have experienced even more severe sanctions, like Spanish Juan Pedro López, excluded from the Under Down Tour at the start of the year. In 2017, another tricolor had left the road to Paris-Nice from the first stage, and not the least: Romain Bardet, after hanging on his car after a mechanical boredom. However, there was no “glued can” at this time.

“It can happen, it has happened to me a few timesadmitted Yoann Offdo, consultant for France Télévisions on Bike ClubThursday, before supporting. “It is a gesture that is not allowed, it is tolerated at a certain moment in the race, especially for runners in difficulty … A glued can allows you to breathe: when you are in the grupto, why not but when you are in the process of scoring points for the polka dot jersey, it's no”, he said.

“Whether in front, in the middle or behind, we have no right to hang on”, Slices for his part Thomas Voeckler, according to whom it is above all an error of the sports director, and which he also acted in front of the cameras.

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“It's just a racing fact. I don't know why he wanted to constantly change his can, it's rather a question to ask him, he has been there for seven months and we get to know him day after day”, replied Roman Sports Director Kreuziger on TNT Sports after the stage, loading his foal instead. He too received a fine of 500 Swiss francs in the case.

“Why do we say that it is tolerated? Because it is not sanctioned every time. If it was, nobody would”recalls Laurent Jalabert. With 72 points, Lenny Martinez is now positioned in 3rd place in the mountain ranking, behind Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG, 105 units) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike, 89).