Mikel Landa aiming for two Grand Tours in 2021

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Staff Bahrain rider Spains Mikel Landa rides during the 18th phase of the 107th version of the Tour de France cycling race 168 km involving Meribel and La Roche sur Foron on September 17 2020 Photograph by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD AFP Picture by KENZO TRIBOUILLARDAFP through Getty Photos

Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) will when once more concentrate on the Tour de France in 2021, aiming for the podium right after ending fourth at the 2020 race. He’ll also race yet another Grand Tour, nevertheless which a person has nonetheless to be decided.

The Spaniard took portion in his fifth Tour this 12 months, getting the opportunity to direct a team for the to start with time obtaining moved from Movistar to Bahrain McLaren. He recurring his 2017 end result of fourth in general, ending the race 5:58 down on winner Tadej Pogačar.

“The Tour is the large intention of the calendar year, that is obvious,” a member of Landa’s entourage advised Basque newspaper Deia. “But it is really genuine that Mikel wishes to race yet another Grand Tour.

“This yr, the conditions did not in shape, as we all know, but if you go back to a usual calendar, he would like to do two Grand Excursions. We will not know if it will be the Giro d’Italia or the Vuelta a España that will be part of the Tour.”

Landa, who turns 31 on Sunday, has raced the Giro 5 moments and the Vuelta on four instances, his best benefits coming in Italy with a third-place complete driving Alberto Contador and then-teammate Fabio Aru in 2015.

His Grand Tour stage wins have arrive at the two races, all in the mountains, with wins at Madonna di Campiglio, Aprica and Piancavallo in Italy, and victory at Cortals d’Encamp at the 2015 Vuelta. He’ll wait around for the route announcements before selecting which race to revisit, though.

“The most typical point is that he will go to the race in which the route is most appropriate for him,” stated the source. “But he does have the idea of competing in two Grand Excursions. It is anything he likes, and his human body recovers properly between two these types of attempts. He digests it well.

“Physically, he has invested very tiny [in 2020], but psychologically it has been a tough 12 months. He was remaining with the desire for a further race.”

Landa, who on Thursday will head to the Canary Islands to practice, will also concentrate on his house race, Itzulia, early in the season. The race was not held in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic but returns to its usual mid-April calendar place in 2021. Landa has raced there six time beforehand, getting two phase wins around the yrs, as perfectly as finishing next in 2018. 

“This is just one of Mikel’s aims. He will go out with the idea of competing for the victory. He wants to be great in his house race.”