Bahrain Victorious wrapped up the seven-day Volta a Catalunya with a strong result, as Lenny Martinez successfully defended his 5th place in the General Classification after the challenging final stage in Barcelona.
As per tradition, the Catalan WorldTour race concluded with a spectacular showdown on the Montjuïc circuit, featuring six laps of the demanding climb. Though this 104th edition saw the course shortened to 88.2 km for logistical reasons, the stage remained true to its character—fast, intense, and decisive. The battle for overall victory came down to Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull BORA) with just one second separating them at the start of the day.
After fighting for crucial bonus seconds at the intermediate sprints, Roglič launched a decisive solo attack with 20 km to go, securing both the stage win and the overall victory. Laurens De Plus (INEOS Grenadiers) finished second, and Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) third, both at 14 seconds behind Roglič.
Bahrain Victorious leader Lenny Martinez crossed the line with the first chasing group, 19 seconds behind the winner, ensuring he held onto his 5th place in the final GC.
“I’m very happy that we achieved our goal of finishing in the top five overall. I couldn’t make the difference today to fight for the podium, but with the team’s great work, we secured a strong GC result in a WorldTour race, so we can be satisfied,” said the 21-year-old French rider.
Bahrain Victorious Sports Director Xavi Florencio also reflected on the result:
“This 5th place overall makes us very happy because it was our target from the beginning. We’re pleased with both the result and the team’s performance. It’s Lenny’s first top-five finish in the GC of a WorldTour race, and he’s showing real progress in fighting for overall standings. These are great signs for the future.”
Meanwhile, Žak Eržen claimed victory for the second year in a row at the newly named “I Feel Slovenia VN Adria Mobil”, racing for Bahrain Victorious Development Team.
The 19-year-old Slovenian sprinter was positioned perfectly by his teammates, who controlled the race throughout the day, setting him up for a nice home victory.
