Mikel Landa in the lead! Basque rider will be chasing Giro d'Italia victory in 2025 in the absence of Remco Evenepoel

The Giro d'Itlalia is slowly taking shape and more Grand Tour contenders confirm their presence in the 2025 race. After the likes of Primoz Roglic, Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso... We've got a new contender for the pink jersey: Mikel Landa!

The Corsa Rosa was very much a possibility for Remco Evenepoel this year, who had it in mind after succeeding in chasing a stage win and podium at last year's Tour de France. But the Belgian rider crashed about a month ago and his original plans were ultimately changed, meanining he should return to racing in the Ardennes and then focus on the Tour de France.

But the Belgian team won't head to the first Grand Tour of the year without a serious GC contender. Mikel Landa, after being signed in 2024 and putting in a terrific Tour de France, has proven to have the legs to fight for a win as long as the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are not present.

That may very well be the case in 2025, and the Basque rider will return to the race where he became an extremely popular figure in 2015, where he finished third in the overall classification, having a mix of incredibly impressive stage wins but also a lot of drama and controversy over his role with Astana and alongside Fabio Aru at the time.

“I am very happy that I will race the Giro, which holds a special place in my heart. It’s the race that helped me make a name as a rider. Back in 2015 I won two stages there and finished third on the standings, and that stage I won over Mortirolo with the finish in Aprica is to this day one of my best memories," the Basque said in a press release. "It’s going to be a challenge, because there will be many good riders at the start, but I will do my best to fight for a stage win and a good result in the general classification. I look forward to the month of May and to meeting again the incredible Italian fans who make the Giro one of the best races in the world”

Landa has raced the Giro on seven occasions, the first being in 2014. He has finished on the podium in the 2015 and 2022 editions whilst he was also fourth in 2019. Recently, he was fifth at the Tour de France and eighth at the Vuelta a España in 2024, and at age of 35 it seems like the climber is stronger than ever. The Belgian team has announced this news, and tomorrow on the team's media day he should reveal where else he will race this upcoming season.