Bahrain Victorious returns to the south of France

Bahrain Victorious returns to the south of France for the Classic Var and Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, after last year’s debut, when the team made the final podium with Santiago Buitrago second and Lenny Martinez third, also winning the Best Young Person classification, while Bahrain Victorious was awarded Best Team.

In 2026, however, both races change format. The Tour des Alpes-Maritimes becomes a one-day race, aiming to offer a more dynamic spectacle while maintaining its identity as a climber’s race. The Classic Var, on the other hand, features a course that should favor sprinters more than pure climbers.

For this reason, French star Lenny Martinez will not start the third Classic Var 1.1 (La Garde-Brignoles, 176.6 km), where the team will focus on sprinter Phil Bauhaus, as Sports Director Roman Kreuziger explains:

“The Classic Var will be completely different from previous years, with a profile more suited to sprinters. That is why we chose this lineup, with Phil Bauhaus in evidence after the good condition shown already in Almería. I expect a similar scenario here as well. Our guys, especially Ermakov, will have to protect him in the first part. The mission is clear: protect Phil in the first 30 kilometers, where there is a longer climb, and then manage the undulating terrain with some technical sections. The finish is very fast and should suit his characteristics well. I expect a bunch sprint. Phil will be supported in the lead-out by Eržen, Van Mechelen and Segaert, as well as Dunwoody, who has raced with us before. He is a Development Team rider, but he has shown good qualities and we are happy to have him in the final train. As for Pau, who comes from the high altitude retreat, like Vlad and Alec, he will be our wild card: an option in case the race ends with a small group of attackers”.

On Sunday, Feb. 22, the 58th edition of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes (1.1) will be held in the new one-day format, designed by the organizers to make the race more dynamic. The 154-kilometer course from Villefranche-sur-Mer to Biot includes about 3,000 meters of elevation gain, with the Col d’Èze (7.4 km at 4.8 percent), Col de Châteauneuf (6.8 km at 6.4 percent), Col de Carros (5.6 km at 5.1 percent), before the final climb to Gourdon (11.8 km at 4.6 percent).

The race will mark the season debut of Lenny Martinez, who will lead the team on its home roads, replacing Phil Bauhaus as the only change from the previous day’s lineup.

Kreuziger shared his expectations for Sunday’s race: “The course is similar to last year’s: in a beautiful place but with the first 85 kilometers very hard, with climbs that we will also face later in the season at Paris-Nice. We know what to expect: it will be an aggressive race, with fireworks from the start and throughout the day. We hope Pau will respond well after his retreat on the high ground and, of course, Lenny, who is making his season debut. We see from the data that he is in good shape and is very motivated, and that makes a big difference when it comes to performance. We hope to have a high-level weekend”.