Martínez started the 2018 season at the Colombian National Road Championships, where he finished 2nd in the time trial, behind Egan Bernal. He went on to finish 5th in the new Colombian race, Colombia Oro y Paz. His first top 10 finish in Europe, was at the Volta a Catalunya, where he rode himself to 7th place overall. He rode the Belgian classics for the first time in his career, finishing 44th in La Fléche Wallonne and 61st in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. Then he rode the Tour de Romandie, and finished 12th. In July 2018, he was named in the start list for the Tour de France.[5] In August 2019, he was named in the startlist for the Vuelta a España.[6]
At the start of the 2020 season, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic-enforced suspension of racing, Martínez won his second consecutive title at the Colombian National Time Trial Championships,[7] and was second to teammate Sergio Higuita in the Tour Colombia, winning the final stage.[8] Martínez won the Critérium du Dauphiné in August, moving from fifth to first on the final day with a second-place stage finish to Sepp Kuss.[9] At the Tour de France, he claimed his first Grand Tour stage win from a breakaway on stage 13, which finished at Puy Mary.[10] He finished the race 28th overall,[11] his best Grand Tour overall placing to that point.
Martínez joined the Ineos Grenadiers team on an initial one-year contract for the 2021 season.[12] During the Giro d'Italia, Martínez was a mountain domestique for his compatriot of countryman Egan Bernal, who ultimately won the race.[13] Martínez moved his way up the general classification throughout the race, and moved up from seventh to fifth overall on the final weekend; he finished third on the final mountain stage that finished at the Alpe Motta in the Valle Spluga, driving the pace for Bernal while minimising any potential time loss to Damiano Caruso, who won the stage.[13] He finished third in the young rider classification, behind Bernal and Aleksandr Vlasov.[14]
To begin the 2022 season he won a record-equalling third Colombian National Time Trial Championships, and finished in third place overall at both the Volta ao Algarve and Paris–Nice.[15][16] His next stage race was the Tour of the Basque Country, where he won the fourth stage and ultimately the race overall, after Remco Evenepoel was distanced on the final climb.[17] At both the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France, Martínez was part of an Ineos Grenadiers team that included Adam Yates, Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock.[18] At the latter, Martínez moved into the top-ten overall after the sixth stage,[19] but his general classification hopes were ended after he lost almost half an hour on the two stages either side of the first rest day,[20][21] which was attributed to illness.[22] He grew stronger by the end of the race and was joined with Wout van Aert and Thibaut Pinot as the final breakaway riders on Hautacam. Eventually Pinot fell back,[23] and the pair rode on alone but ultimately finished behind the GC contenders. Martínez continued riding hard because Geraint Thomas was approaching, who finished 4th on the stage to secure the final podium position.
Bora-Hansgrohe (2024–present)
At the end of the 2023 season it was announced that Martinez would leave the Ineos Grenadiers to join German pro team Bora–Hansgrohe[24] for an unknown contract duration. Ahead of the start of the 2024 Giro d'Italia, Bora-Hansgrohe announced that Martinez would be their leader in the General classification,[25] selecting him over fellow rider Emanuel Buchmann.
Major results
2013
Pan American Junior Road Championships
1st Time trial
2nd Road race
2014
1st Time trial, National Junior Road Championships
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