Tweet not found
The embedded tweet could not be found…
Mikel Landa aiming for João Almeida's fourth place at Tour de France: "If I can look out for my classification, I will take advantage of it"
CyclingThursday, 18 July 2024 at 22:00
Mikel Landa has ridden through safely the 18th stage of the Tour de France and remains in fifth position. The Basque rider has been racing a virtually perfect Tour thus far and his ambitions do not end in his current position; if he has the legs he will attempt to attack João Almeida's fourth place tomorrow in the brutal stage into Isola 2000.
Landa had a pretty calm day in the peloton with no action, saving the legs for the remaining key stages of the race in the Alps. He was asked about his compatriot Oier Lazkano who was in the battle for the stage win and lamented the lack of a result in the finish line: "Too bad he couldn't finish it off." The veteran climber and Remco Evenepoel had a different mission in the peloton and Soudal - QuickStep kept it's powder dry. On the weekend, not only Landa, but also possibly Remco Evenepoel will look to make moves in the overall classification if he can distance Jonas Vingegaard as was the case in stage 17.
Then he talked about what could happen in these last three remaining stages. On the one hand he hopes that Remco Evenepoel, his team leader at Soudal Quick-Step, could fight with Jonas Vingegaard for second place and, on the other hand, if his duties as a luxury domestique allow him to do so, maintain his place in the general classification:
Landa, who has twice finished in fourth place at the Tour (in 2017 and 2020) could repeat the feat once again, if he can repeat his climbing performance of Plateau de Beille. "A little bit of everything can happen. Hopefully Remco will get close to second and contest it. I'm there to watch Remco, although if I can look out for my classification I'll take advantage of it."
Read also
claps 1visitors 585
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024
- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- If you look at how much TP progressed in that 1 1/2 years you can no longer say that’s nothing. If Remco improves as much he’s a challenger!Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Froome wishing to ride the Vuelta...he won't even be selected for the team!frieders320-12-2024
- Keep telling yourself that Remco but you not only have Tadeg to beat but Jonas!frieders320-12-2024
- Seems farfetched - I agree. Mas has beaten him once. Giro d'Emillia I think - 2022mobk20-12-2024
- Barring injuries, by the time Pogacar's dominance fads there will be lots of new young talent. Pogacar is about 1 1/2 years older than Remco. That's nothing.Sweep20-12-2024
- I actually don’t find that too impressive. In my later forties I did similar figures for a 3.5% gradient as a total nobody with no wind assistance. Am sure there’s margin for improvement there, especially looking at all the names on that list.Mistermaumau20-12-2024
- Jonas', was 6 years agospock12320-12-2024
- The race where he overnight suddenly turned nuclear after being packfodder at best for several years. His Sky days after that Vuelta and Pogačar’s last season shall remain the darkest post Lance stuff cycling has witnessed. Good riddance Froome.
UltimateOpportunist20-12-2024