Mikel Landa, after years of chasing the GC, dreams aloud of a very different role in the Vuelta: "I do miss that a bit"

That Landa even made it to the start of the Vuelta is already an achievement in itself. The 35-year-old Spaniard crashed out on day one of the Giro d’Italia with a fractured vertebra and needed a long recovery. “I was off the bike for a month, then I could ride the rollers with a brace. That wasn’t great, but after a week I could take it off and start riding outside. At first it was easy enough, but when I really had to start training, it got difficult. My back was very weak, so I couldn’t put much power down. I was exhausted after my rides,” he admitted.

“I worked hard with masseurs and physios, but that period really had ups and downs. I was anything but consistent in my performances. So the Tour of Burgos was useful to lose some of the fear of racing again and break through that mental block,” Landa reflected on his 18th place in Burgos earlier this month. “I feel pretty good now, but it’s not realistic to think about the GC. I’m not ready for that, not without a proper preparation. But… you never know.”

You never know? Yes, Landa really said it. Because although both rider and team have little faith in general classification ambitions, the veteran doesn’t plan to deliberately lose time. “If you’re motivated, you’re capable of a lot. I’m curious to see how my body will react in the opening days in Italy. After that, the goal will basically be more about targeting a stage win than the GC. Also because I kind of miss winning, since I’ve focused on classifications. It’s been a long time since I last won, and that feeling of being the best on a given day is really special.”

Indeed, his last victory dates back to 2021, also in Burgos. Before that, it was 2019 at the Coppi e Bartali. Landa’s point is clear: he’d rather race freely and see what happens, than start with big expectations and end up disappointed. A bit like in 2017, when he started the Giro with high ambitions but, after an early crash, attacked without pressure. “That Giro was very special. Luckily, my form stayed really good after the crash, which allowed me to go on the attack and aim for stage wins.”

But even with the prospect of attacking for three weeks, Landa isn’t making big announcements. First he wants to see how things go, ambitions will follow naturally. “I don’t know exactly how my form is right now, so I need to be cautious. But racing aggressively always gives a lot of confidence. I enjoy that. I need that winning feeling again.” The Vuelta a España, then, must become the race of Landa’s resurgence. Because at Soudal-Quick Step, they’ll still need the Spaniard badly in the coming year, after Evenepoel’s departure.

Landa reacted with striking calmness when the interview ended with the inevitable Evenepoel question. “I came to this team to help Remco, but this season we haven’t raced together once. First he was injured, then I was, so I’d almost forgotten about him,” he joked. Then, more seriously: “I joined with a clear role, but I’ve found more than that in this team. The atmosphere is good, they see me here as more than just a helper, and that makes me happy to be here, even without Remco.”

Bram van der Ploeg ( Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email : [email protected])