Landa focuses on Vuelta but isn't necessarily eyeing leadership role after Evenepoel's departure: "I came here with a different goal"

In the first stage of the Giro, things went wrong for the 35-year-old Spanish rider. In the final stretch, Landa crashed on a descent. The result was a fracture of the TH 11 vertebra in his back. “Mikel will have to remain in a stable position for a longer period. He will remain in the hospital until a plan is made to get him home,” his team announced at the time.

Now Landa is finally back, although his recovery has been anything but easy. “I had high expectations for the Giro, and what happened was a huge blow. The injury was also serious, something I didn't know, and I've had injuries before,” the Spaniard explained in an interview with AS. It is therefore not surprising that Landa is returning to racing with mixed feelings. “I wonder how I feel and whether my back is responding well, whether my legs are responding... I'm going to take it day by day."

His return is remarkable enough in the Tour of Burgos: the race where he scored his last victory four years ago. However, his approach is certainly not the same now. “My goal is different. My goal is to see where I stand, get into a rhythm, and forget what happened in the previous race,” the Spanish rider describes his intention in the five-day stage race.

It will mainly be a build-up to the Vuelta, in which Landa hopes to compete for the ninth time in his career. He has not yet disclosed what his goal will be if he participates in the Vuelta a España. “The goal is still to be at the start. I'm not thinking about anything else right now. If I show up at the start, I think I'll be happy.”

If he makes it to the start in Turin on August 23, the Spaniard will face Jonas Vingegaard, among others. “The Tour went very well for him, although Pogacar was on top form there. I think he still performed very well, so he will start as the favorite in the Vuelta,” says Landa, looking at his Danish rival from Visma | Lease a Bike.

After the Vuelta, the season will draw to a close, and attention will turn to 2026. It will be a year of many changes for Landa, with Soudal Quick-Step's leader Remco Evenepoel leaving for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. So, how does the Spaniard view the upcoming leadership role? “I'm not thinking about that yet,” he says honestly. “To be honest, I came here with a different goal, and it's not the time to think about that yet.”