“It’s something he’s asked for, but do the Giro and the Tour… then we’ll see” – Quick-Step DS addresses rumours of Mikel Landa’s Grand Tour hat-trick in 2026

The idea of Mikel Landa riding all three of cycling's Grand Tours in a single season has always felt more like romantic speculation than a realistic plan. Yet heading into 2026, the conversation has shifted from fantasy to conditional possibility.

Not because of public ambition, but because the request has come from Landa himself, and because Soudal - Quick-Step are entering a very different phase of their history.

“It’s something he’s asked for, but do the Giro and the Tour… then we’ll see,” sports director Davide Bramati said in conversation with Bici.Pro, laying out the clearest framework yet for how far the team are prepared to go.

That line does a lot of work. It confirms intent, sets boundaries, and makes clear that any talk of a Grand Tour hat-trick will be earned rather than granted.

For all of Landa’s longevity at the top level, one box remains unticked. He has never ridden the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in the same year.

Across his career he has started more than 20 Grand Tours, with repeated appearances at all three and podium finishes at the Giro. He has proven capable of backing up strong form across long blocks of racing, but always with limits applied. Even in his peak seasons, programmes were built around two Grand Tours at most.

That is what gives weight to the 2026 discussion. This would not be a symbolic farewell tour or a vanity project. It would be something entirely new for a rider now in the latter phase of his career. “I continue to enjoy what I do and I have the same passion as on my first day with the team,” Landa said. “Now I’m about to start my sixteenth year as a professional, something I would never have imagined when I turned pro.”

That perspective matters. This is not a rider chasing nostalgia, but one who believes there is still space to compete meaningfully across the biggest races on the calendar.

If there is one Grand Tour that still defines Landa’s career, it is the Giro d’Italia. Twice on the podium, often among the strongest climbers in the race, but repeatedly undone by crashes or misfortune.

Last season followed that pattern brutally, when a crash on the opening day ended his race almost before it had begun. “Before the Giro everything was going perfectly, I was in excellent shape and felt very good,” Landa recalled. “I was ready to fight for a good general classification. Then that accident happened and everything went up in smoke.”

Bramati has not forgotten that context. “Mikel will be at the Giro and he will be our leader,” he said. “Stages or general classification? Why not try to ride for the general classification. Let’s remember that he has an unfinished story with the Giro, and it is also a very nice Giro.”

That choice of words is revealing. This is not framed as a transitional role or a reduced ambition. The Giro remains the foundation of any wider plan.

The Tour de France sits at the centre of Bramati’s conditional approach. Historically, it has been the race where Landa has either consolidated his form or reached his limit. Strong performances there would make any discussion about a third Grand Tour credible. Weak ones would likely close the door.

That is why the Vuelta, despite being Landa’s home Grand Tour, is treated as optional rather than guaranteed. Bramati’s “then we’ll see” is not evasive. It is structural.

Modern cycling does not reward sentiment. “You have to deal with modern cycling, which is very demanding,” Bramati said. “For now he will do the Giro and then the Tour, and then we’ll see.”

The implication is clear. Two Grand Tours at a high level open the conversation. Anything less ends it.

There is also a broader context at play. With Remco Evenepoel no longer part of the team, Quick-Step’s Grand Tour strategy has reset. Landa is no longer supporting a single dominant leader. He is now the reference point.

That responsibility has sharpened his standing inside the group. Bramati describes him as “a real example for the young riders”, highlighting his professionalism and impact beyond results.

For a team rebuilding its identity, that matters. A potential Grand Tour hat-trick would not just be about Landa. It would be about demonstrating that experience, resilience and ambition still have a place in Quick-Step’s future.

Whether the idea ever reaches the start line of the Vuelta remains uncertain. That uncertainty is the point. In 2026, nothing is automatic. For Landa, the door is open. But only if he earns the right to walk through it.