Mikel Landa’s ambitions for 2026: unfinished business with the Giro and a surprise at the Tour
CyclingMonday, 29 December 2025 at 19:00
Mikel Landa heads into 2026 full of enthusiasm with Soudal - Quick-Step. Following the departure of Remco Evenepoel, the rider from Murgia takes on a greater level of responsibility within the team, becoming a leader for the general classification at the Giro d’Italia and enjoying freedom to hunt for stage victories at the Tour de France.
After 17 seasons as a professional, Landa is preparing for a campaign in which he aims to rediscover winning sensations and raise his arms again in races.
In conversation with Diario Deia, Landa speaks about his objectives for 2026, his physical preparation, season planning and his motivation to continue competing at a high level.
Holidays and physical preparation
- He stopped for around five weeks after the season, which was necessary due to back problems following Lombardia.
- After three weeks he started to feel better and has been able to increase both training hours and intensity without any setbacks.
- He did not finish 2025 feeling tired, unlike 2024 after riding two Grand Tours, so he expects to arrive fresh in 2026.
Training camp in Calpe and calendar planning
- The training camp included photos, meetings and performance tests.
- Planned calendar: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (starting 4 February), Catalunya, Itzulia, Giro and Tour.
- Giro: the objective is to fight for the general classification.
- Tour: freedom to go in search of stage victories, without focusing on the overall classification.
Objectives and motivation for 2026
- He wants to raise his arms again, something he has not done since the Vuelta a Burgos in 2021.
- He has unfinished business with the Giro after his crash in 2025 and wants to enjoy the race.
- He is also considering victories in shorter stage races such as Catalunya or Itzulia, depending on the route.
Situation at Soudal - Quick-Step and professional future
- He is happy in the team, feels valued and has found his place.
- He only has a contract for one more year, with options to continue in 2027 if he is still enjoying it and the team wants him.
- With the departure of Remco Evenepoel, he once again becomes a leader for general classifications, although he will continue to support young riders in one-week races.
Roles within the team
- Giro: he will be supported by climbers such as Garofoli and others who also support Paul Magnier.
- Tour: the objective is stage victories, not the general classification.
- He will also help young riders in shorter races.
Reflection on his career and personal motivation
- This will be his seventeenth year as a professional; he never thought he would go this far.
- He believes that both the mind and the legs are important to maintain a high level and overcome setbacks.
- His main motivation continues to be enjoying himself and feeling the satisfaction of winning again.
Opinion on rivals
- He acknowledges the dominance of Tadej Pogacar in current cycling and sees him as unbeatable for now.
Read also
The highlights of Landa’s career, in numbers
Mikel Landa has achieved significant results throughout his career. He has won the general classification of the Vuelta a Burgos on two occasions (2017 and 2021) and the Giro del Trentino in 2016. In Grand Tours, he has taken three stage victories at the Giro d’Italia (2015, 2017) and one stage at the Vuelta a Espana in 2015, as well as winning the mountains classification at the 2017 Giro d’Italia.
In shorter stage races, he has claimed two stage victories at the Itzulia Basque Country (2015, 2016), one at Tirreno-Adriatico in 2018 and three at the Vuelta a Burgos (2011, 2017). In terms of overall classifications, he has finished second at Itzulia Basque Country (2018, 2023) and the Volta a Catalunya in 2024, third at the Giro d’Italia (2015, 2022) and fourth at the Tour de France (2017, 2020).
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- hope he gets his monument soonmij19-01-2026
- ....and my question is.... Did the system failed because was everything for Evenopoel? Where's all those wins from the Wolfpack spirit? Hope to see them coming back from the before Evenepoel era. No disrespect at all for Remco or for the team to try it.
PAULO19-01-2026 - Yes, that's true... but would Pogi be as good as he is if he was never on the UAE team? I don't think so. They have one of the best trainers-Javier Sola and on of the best PhD professors for nutrition and data analysts.NikkoNicco19-01-2026
- Of course it’s the best term to use, look how many comments it generates. Besides the fact that it is the correct biological term for the nerve cell responsible for brain/muscle communication. Very interesting revelation that suggests many other neurological possibilities I’ve hinted at in the past may soon be noticed and launch discussions on the need to define what the threshold for neurological/psychological /hormonal doping should be, before things get even more complicated with physical implants or remote manipulation (as in the CIA spending a 3 figure million amount to acquire an enemy weapon able to alter human feelings from a distance).Mistermaumau19-01-2026
- Not most popular opinion but if you want to cancel one of grand tours it should be... TdF. Vuelta and Giro are MUCH more fun to watch than boring TdF stages.averagecyclist19-01-2026
- Yeh not the best term to use 😁
leedorney19-01-2026 - He was abducted by aliens and given their super dna 🤣leedorney19-01-2026
- nice race. More exciting for 2nd and 3rd place
ChillingCyclist19-01-2026 - I see it different. The body is the "motor" and the brain controls the body...the "motor". Everything with human beings is controled by the brain. EVERYTHING.NikkoNicco19-01-2026
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