“It’s a day for the GC” - Pello Bilbao expects Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes battle from the beginning and admits fitness doubts

Pello Bilbao approaches the start of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 with a blend of optimism and caution after a final week of prep marked by some health issues. The Bahrain Victorious rider acknowledged he has not arrived in ideal condition, though he trusts the work banked over recent months.

“Everything was going very well, but last week wasn’t perfect for me. I had some health problems, although luckily over the last two days I’ve felt recovered,” the Basque rider said before the race start.

Bilbao admitted to Cycling Pro Net that those setbacks leave a few question marks over his current form. “I have the logical doubts because the final training sessions weren’t perfect, but I know there’s a lot of good work behind me and I hope it shows this week,” he noted.

With the Tour de France just weeks away, the French race is a key chance to sharpen up, though the Spaniard made it clear he also arrives with concrete sporting goals.

“We come with some expectations, but first we need to see how the legs are today. Today’s stage is already going to be a key day for the GC and I hope to be competitive to the end.”

The demands of the opening day did not go unnoticed by Bilbao, who expects an all-out fight among the overall contenders from stage one.

“Today is definitely a GC day. We have almost twenty minutes of climbing, then a descent and very little flat before the finish. We have to be there, no matter what, if we want to fight for the general classification,” he said.

However, Bahrain Victorious’ Spanish leader stressed that the team’s approach is not solely focused on the overall. The squad lines up with a more open strategy, targeting stage wins across different terrains.

“We didn’t come thinking especially about the team time trial. We came more with the idea of hunting stages,” he explained. “We have a good team for almost every day. We’ve got Phil for the sprints with strong lead-out support, while Matej and Vlad can do well in the medium mountains. Santi and I will be there for the high-mountain stages.”

Bilbao believes the squad’s versatility can be a major asset over the week. “Maybe we don’t have the best team to control the GC or for a team time trial, but to fight for stages every day I think we’re in a very good place.”

The media appearance ended on a light note when he was asked if he knew the exact name of the race. Laughing, Bilbao replied: “Tour d’Auvergne or Rhone Alps,” drawing smiles all round before tackling stage 1 of a week that will test his form ahead of his big summer goals.