"I'm thinking of taking a risk" - Pello Bilbao targets stage win at Tour de Suisse after difficult Giro d’Italia

Pello Bilbao is rediscovering his form at the Tour de Suisse following a frustrating Giro d’Italia where physical problems limited his impact. Despite arriving in Switzerland still feeling the effects of fatigue, the Basque rider has found renewed legs and now has a clear goal in mind: win a stage.

“Surprisingly better than expected, because the 2 weeks before Switzerland were not the best with accumulated fatigue,” Bilbao said. “I didn't expect to feel good here, but the first 2 stages went quite well.”

While many riders arrive at the Tour de Suisse as a tune-up for the general classification battles to come, Bilbao has other priorities.

“Today is a good possibility for me, I'm going day by day, I'm not thinking about the overall, I've already lost time, I'm thinking about taking risks, I don't care about losing time for the overall, the priority is going to be to try to win a stage.”

The Bahrain - Victorious rider is optimistic about Stage 3, believing the finish could suit his characteristics better than the day before. “It's going to be a scenario a bit similar to yesterday, but with a smaller sprint of about 30-40 riders and it suits me better than yesterday,” he explained. “My sprint has little strength left after the Giro, I'm pretty diesel, but it's going to be a very demanding finish and I don't think anyone will be fresh for the last meters.”