10 May 2017
Feature: Landa confident ahead of Giro
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Mikel Landa
Mikel Landa believes a number of factors have helped him feel more confident as he prepares to co-lead Team Sky at the 2017 Giro d’Italia.
The Spaniard was dogged by illness in his early months at Team Sky, disrupting his plans for the 2016 Giro, but he has suffered no such misfortune in 2017, allowing him to build stronger foundations for the coming weeks.
That, added to more specific time trial training and the comfort that comes with being settled in the team for over a year, means the Spaniard is optimistic ahead of one of cyclings toughest tests.
"Last year was very different,” he explained. "I started with an illness so I couldn’t do all the base work that I’ve done this year. I’m more confident.
“And it definitely helps a lot to have been here a year now. I know my team-mates better and it’s so important to have good communication with them and know how they ride. That can help me.”
Mikel Landa reveals how his preparation for the Giro has changed this season
Mikel's preparation in 2016 was affected by illness and injury, but he is much happier with his preparation for the 100th Giro
Landa abandoned the 2016 Giro due to illness on stage 10, two days after he’d produced one of the time trials of his career, prompting pundits to install him as one of the firm favourites with 12 stages to go.
He doesn’t hesitate when asked how much belief he’s taken from that TT ride: “A lot. Everybody was asking how much time I would lose, but I wasn’t too far from the main GC contenders. It gave me a lot of confidence for the coming stages.”
Landa was the team's sole leader in 2016 but this year Geraint Thomas will join him as co-leader, and he believes that opens up exciting options for the team.
"Having a co-leader is great because we can play our tactics. G is a very good climber but is maybe a rider who moves better in mid-mountain stages and in time trials, whereas maybe I’m better at uphill finishes, so if we stay together and make a good plan then hopefully we can work well together.”
Mikel Landa
This year there’s a lot of mountains with a lot of summit finishes. It’s better for me.
The pair proved that at the Tour of the Alps, where Landa was instrumental in helping Thomas take the overall title, and they stole the headlines on day three, crossing the line together in a fantastic 1-2.
Landa hopes the pair will work equally well together at the Giro - particularly in the critical final week.
"Like always the Giro will be decided in the last week,” he opined. "This year there’s a lot of mountains with a lot of summit finishes. It’s better for me.
"There’s also a lot of time trialling which isn’t my best discipline, but we’re working hard to get better at those.
"We’ve done a good job there. We introduced the TT bike into my training routine, which has helped a lot."
Landa hopes the pair will work equally well together at the Giro - particularly in the critical final week.
"Like always the Giro will be decided in the last week,” he opined. "This year there’s a lot of mountains with a lot of summit finishes. It’s better for me.
"There’s also a lot of time trialling which isn’t my best discipline, but we’re working hard to get better at those.
"We’ve done a good job there. We introduced the TT bike into my training routine, which has helped a lot."
The TT bike has become a key part of Mikel's training this season
As soon as Landa left the Giro last year the team installed him in the Tour de France lineup, but for now he’s not looking beyond May.
He added: "At the beginning of 2016 it wasn’t on my plan, but when I went home from the Giro they said I could do it, and it was very helpful for me.
"When your goal has gone it can be very difficult to train and motivate yourself, so it was great to get a new goal straight away and have something fresh to focus on. And, of course, it was a very nice experience."
