Lenny Martinez's coach on the Vuelta leader; more Ineos-QuickStep rumours; two paths for Jumbo in sponsorship search; Avenir winner Isaac del Toro and Mexico's renaissance

RadioCycling

After three opening days when chaos was the predominant factor, this Vuelta is turning into a belter, with Sepp Kuss at his climb-conquering best and the youngest rider in the field donning the race leader's red jersey. With the mountains now coming thick and fast, RadioCycling's latest headlines from Spain and beyond are...
Lenny Martinez sees red as Remco loses his grip: we could hardly have picked a better morning to speak to the coach of the 20-year-old Groupama-FDJ rider who's already shone magnificently on his Grand Tour debut. Nicolas Boisson tells us what makes Martinez special, about the young Frenchman's goals for this Vuelta, and why he's ready to pick up the baton of team leadership from Thibaut Pinot. "He's the natural successor," Boisson says of Martinez.
The Ineos and Soudal-QuickStep rumours won't go away, no matter how much the British team's manager Rod Ellingworth insists that there's nothing in them. RadioCycling bloodhound Chris Marshall-Bell reveals the latest goings-on between the two teams, which include meetings between prominent players on both sides and reports that Jumbo-Visma team manager Richard Plugge is being targeted for a key role.
Talking of Richard Plugge, we also get the latest from the Jumbo-Visma team manager on the Dutch outfit's search for a sponsor to replace its primary backer. We also examine whether Movistar are heading into a sponsorship storm, and highlight some good news on the same front for two of France's leading teams, including sporting superstore giant Decathlon's return to the WorldTour.
As the Vuelta was getting under way, the perennial indicator of talent that is the Tour de l'Avenir concluded with a sensational final day coup by 19-year-old Mexican Isaac Del Toro, who rode off with the yellow, green and polka-dot jerseys. We hear from Del Toro's long-time coach about the Grand Tour potential that he believes the young Mexican is brimming with and his likely next step as he looks towards the WorldTour. In addition, renowned Mexican sports commentator Goga Ruiz Sandoval explains what Del Toro's triumph means for cycling in a country that has a long racing tradition but has been beset by administrative mismanagement and corruption.

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