Mikel Landa: "I’ve never worn the pink jersey, but if it arrives, it will feel welcome"

Mikel Landa has a long history with the Giro d'Italia, which include glory, heartbreaks and a lot of drama. 2022 will see the Basque climber back on the lead at the Giro, as he comes as the leader for Bahrain - Victorious and is eyeing a high overall classification.

In an interview with VeloNews, Landa has expressed how he feels regarding the first Grand Tour of the season: “I feel good. I think the Tour of the Alps improved my condition and I feel ready for the Giro. The Giro is always hard to manage and difficult to control. I’ve never worn the pink jersey, but if it arrives, it will feel welcome. For sure you need a strong team to make it all the way with the pink jersey.”

“The time trials are always decisive. Of course the Giro is also won in the final week," Landa added. The final week of racing will include four high-mountain stages and a time-trial which are likely to decided the race. However, gaps can be made from the very first day in the overall classification, and with the brutal stage to Blockhaus - alongside others - on the opening week are set to create significant gaps already in the opening week.

This is, however, exactly what Landa needs in order to be at the top of the standings. With very little influence on the race, the time-trials won't be much of an issue for the Bahrain rider, who will aim to make a difference in the mountains. "It’s a course that I like, and it’s a good opportunity for me. There are less time trial kilometers and that always helps. The big summit finishes always prove decisive," he concluded.