Basque rider Pello Bilbao of the Bahrain Victorious team has made his mark at the Tour de France 2023, finishing an impressive sixth. Although he failed to make the podium, his performance in the competition has been outstanding, and Bilbao has awarded himself a remarkable rating: a 9 out of 10. In an interview after the stage, he shared his reflections on his performance, his achievements and the reasons behind his strategic decisions.
"I give myself a nine," said the Spanish cyclist in statements published by EFE, showing his satisfaction with the effort made during the Tour. However, he also acknowledged that there are always areas for improvement. Bilbao admitted that, if he had focused his participation on the fight for the general classification, perhaps he would have obtained a better result. But he also stressed that taking that route would have meant sacrificing the opportunity to win a stage, as he did on stage 10 with a victory in Issoire, ending a three-year winless drought for Spain in the French race.
"Valuing the effort we made, knowing that there are always things to improve. If I had come here with my mind set on the overall, maybe I could have done better, but I wouldn't have a stage in my pocket. So I'm proud of the work we've done here," said Bilbao.
The Bahrain - Victorious rider not only highlighted his own success, but also the triumphs of his team. Bahrain Victorious achieved two more victories during the Tour: one with Dutchman Wout Poels and another with Slovenian Matej Mohoric. These collective achievements added to the satisfaction of Bilbao, who leaves the competition with "a great haul."
The spirit and motivation of Bilbao and his team were ridden by a special reason: to honor the memory of the late Swiss cyclist Gino Mader, who lost his life in the last Tour de Suisse. This tribute gave an extra boost to the riders' determination and was reflected in their performance.
"We have raced with a special strength and motivation, the reason is because we have run in honor of Gino Mader. It gave us an extra point. Yesterday we saw it as Matej was getting excited, in the end that makes you push yourself to the limit," Bilbao shared.
Although he acknowledged that his focus on stages may have brought him closer to the overall classification, Bilbao defended the team's strategy of focusing on stage wins rather than the final podium. This decision allowed the riders to feel more liberated and fluid in their performance. "I think in the team we have approached it in the best possible way, more liberated from the general. We have focused on stages and three stages are worth it. The podium was very complicated," explained Bilbao.
The 2023 Tour de France has been a monumental challenge for Pello Bilbao and his team, but they have demonstrated their talent and dedication on every stage. Their stage 10 victory, along with the team's other two victories, leaves a legacy of success and honor in the world's most prestigious cycling competition. The passion and effort shown by Bilbao and his team will undoubtedly make them contenders to be reckoned with in future editions of the Tour de France.
🇫🇷 #TDF2023 @PelloBilbao1990 took a top 10 result on stage 20 @LeTour, as he tried to improve his GC ranking. The Basque rider is one stage away from securing his 6th place in the overall on the Champs-Élysées. #RideAsOne #rideforGino 📸 @SprintCycling
