Lenny Martinez is the youngest rider in the Vuelta a España and has been the new leader of the general classification since the 6th stage. The 20-year-old Frenchman, the biggest hope for France in this Vuelta, has now entered many statistics and lists, even appearing as the successor to Miguel Indurain.
In 1985, Indurain took over the leadership of the Vuelta a España when he was 20 years and 283 days old. This happened on the 2nd stage of that edition, which he would eventually finish in 84th place. Therefore, Lenny Martinez, at 20 years and 51 days, surpasses one of the greatest idols in the history of Spanish cycling.
In a clear demonstration of the current trend where increasingly younger cyclists participate in Grand Tours, the list of the top ten youngest leaders in the Vuelta includes three riders who led the 2023 edition. Lorenzo Milesi (21 years and 160 days) was the first leader and was succeeded by Andrea Piccolo (22 years and 157 days).
Lenny Martinez is not the youngest leader in any of the three Grand Tours. In that list, he ranks second. In 1904, the Frenchman Henri Cornet was the leader of the classification in the Tour de France at the age of 19.