Mikel Landa leaves the door of retirement open: "At the end of 2025 I will decide if it's time to quit cycling"
Cycling
One of the big names in Spain's lineup for Sunday's elite men's road race at the Zurich 2024 World Championships is Mikel Landa. The Spaniard is not one of the main favourites but is an interesting outsider in a route that fits the climbers; but most importantly he opened the topic of retirement in the coming years.
The 34-year-old has had a great season, and has made a place in the '8' announced by Pascal Monparlier to fight for the rainbow jersey, alongside the likes of Juan Ayuso, Pello Bilbao and Carlos Rodríguez.
5th in the Tour de France as Remco Evenepoel's main domestique, another Top 10 in the Vuelta a España in 8th place and second at the Volta a Catalunya are the Basque's top results of a strong season, and in words to Marca he talks about the upcoming race:
"I've had a tough end to the season, but I want to have a good World Championships. I've rested as little as possible so as not to relax too much. I've tried to maintain the form I had in La Vuelta".
In addition to the World Cup, Landa also spoke about what the next season with Quick-Step will hold for him, as the possibility of renewal is up in the air. On that, he revealed that he might even consider retirement at the end of 2025.
"I have all of 2025 ahead of me and at the end of the year I'll decide whether it's time to quit or continue. It could be that the former will happen, right now I don't have it in mind, but it could be if it turns out to be a bad year and I stop enjoying it".
Landa says he will return to Tour de France
Along with the bombshell that he may consider retiring from cycling at the end of next season, Landa has indicated that he has not yet planned his calendar, but has let it be known that he will return to the Tour de France:
"I want to choose it very well. Other years I might have rushed it. I have to listen to the team, because I'll be with Remco. I'd like to analyze it well," he says, perhaps hinting that Evenepoel is also thinking of a return even before the climb.
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- Based on what argument?Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Agreed except the length of climbs, pretty sure you can stretch that to about a km unless we’re talking about half a dozen in quick succession.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Lot of contradictory information floating around world cup contenders, someone should do some tidying up.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- A bit much to suggest that Pogacar is better than MvdP on most terrains. The only terrain Pogacar is clearly better is long climbs, on any other terrain they are pretty even except flat cobbles and short and steep climbs (max a few 100 mtrs) where MvdP is clearly better than Pogacar.Velovibes21-12-2024
- 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