On the Col du Glandon, Lenny Martinez didn’t just climb—he 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’t just one time–which would be bad enough, but three. It also earned him a new nickname: “Sticky Martinez.” Granted, that name only exists in the hardworking offices of Canadian Cycling Magazine. But still. Maybe it will catch on.
But while the Bahrain – 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–one of the great white hopes, as it were? Or because he was in polka dots? Either way, many questioned the decision.
“The only reason he scored those 20 points is because of the sticky bottles,” Sep Vanmarcke said to Sporza. “They should be erased, at minimum. I wouldn’t take him out of the race, but you need to make a clear statement that this can’t happen.”
Richard Plugge, general manager of Visma-Lease a Bike, echoed the concern. “This isn’t part of the game,” he said. “If you’re fighting for a jersey or points, and you’re holding onto a car, that’s not allowed. The rules should be applied evenly.”
Plugge pointed to what he sees as a lack of consistency from the race jury.
“You have to be able to trust that the UCI applies its rules properly—and that often doesn’t happen. It creates confusion.”
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. In contrast, Martinez and his team director Roman Kreuziger were each fined just 500 francs for the towing incident.
“Why such a massive fine in one case and a slap on the wrist in another?” Plugge asked. “That Ineos car was just driving on the road. Maybe the question should be why fans are in the way in the first place. Shouldn’t the organizers be fined too?”
For Plugge and others, it’s not just about one sticky bottle—it’s about a rulebook that seems too flexible for comfort.
Anyway, the Tour continues on Friday–albeit a shortened stage because of cow culling along the parcours.
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