"My key objective is to be with Remco" - Mikel Landa assures he has no personal ambitions at the moment

Remco Evenepoel’s key climbing support rider Mikel Landa expects that the first 'real' mountain stage of Tour de France will test everyone's legs and deal the cards for upcoming weeks.

Tomorrow, riders will take on the Col de Galibier in what is meant to be the first big mountain test. "It will be the first big climbing test," Landa told Spanish newspaper AS. "It’s a short, hard stage with a fast finish to end it with. I imagine UAE will take control of the race and we’ll have to follow them. It won’t be a definitive day, but it will be an important one."

Landa who is riding his 22nd Grand Tour has a lot of experience to share, especially with his young leader. And the Spaniard feels that sometimes even his presence alone helps Evenepoel. "I think he’s calmer when he has me with him, and that’s important for me, too," Landa observed. "I tell him to keep calm because the Tour is long and above all, you have to know how to measure your efforts. This is his first Tour de France and there’s a great deal of expectation surrounding him. If he finishes in the top five or top three, that would be good. But it’s the race which decides where everybody finishes."

Are personal ambitions at the back of Landa's mind? "My key objective is to be with Remco," he assures. "Right to the end, giving everything for him. Then we’ll have to see how the race plays out, if I have to look at GC a little or fight for a stage. It’ll all become clear as we go on."