Pello Bilbao targets Itzulia Basque Country, Ardennes and Tour de France in 2023: "I would like to try to take a step forward"

Pello Bilbao has talked about his 2023 season some weeks ago and had revealed he'd target the Tour de France with it's Grand Depart in his home region, but he's further talked about his ambitions at the Bahrain - Victorious presentation.

“The first part is more or less defined. The start will be in Australia (Tour Down Under, ed.). Afterwards there will be an important focus on the Tour of the Basque Country. This year I will almost certainly do the Ardennes. After the Tour it will be the main focus of the season.”

Incisive and clear. The Tour will have it's start in Bilbao, in the home region of both him and Mikel Landa who will switch away from the Giro d'Italia, where Jack Haig, Damiano Caruso and Gino Mäder will be gearing up towards. Bilbao will aim high at the Tour de France after finishing fifth at the Giro this year, alongside several other results.

“Every year I try to take a step forward. Time trials are an aspect to improve, but not the most important. Analyzing what we will face, there will be less time trial kilometers (22 to be exact, and highly mountainous, ed.), so improving in this area will not be a priority for me. However we are working on it and we will continue to do so. The main objective will be the Tour." Bilbao continued.

"My personal goal is to improve more than from a qualitative point of view, from a quantitative one. I would like to try to take a step forward in some aspects. Like in pedaling or nutrition and I hope this will bear fruit. One goal I would like to achieve is to have regularity throughout the year, which is a virtue I have often shown to have," he added.

The Bahrain - Victorious rider has proven himself as one of the most consistent in the peloton, but he's now looking to turn that into big wins. He took stage wins at the Itzulia Basque Country, Tour of the Alps and Deutschland Tour this year, however he feels he can improve. Most noticeably however is his decision to opt out of the Giro d'Italia - which he's raced every year since 2017.

“After having done the Giro seven (correction: six, ed.) consecutive times this year I have changed my strong point on the Tour because it essentially starts from Bilbao, on roads that I know perfectly and that are dear to me," he explained. "It is fortunate that we can experience an opportunity like this and it is a unique opportunity that cannot be missed."

"The Giro is a race that costs me having to give up. The one that has seen me grow the most and in which I've learned a lot, but we know how hard it is to do Giro and Tour and this year I really wanted to aim for the Tour for these reasons," he continued. Besides Landa, the likes of Matej Mohoric, Fred Wright and Santiago Buitrago are also expected to represent the team at the Grand Boucle.

"In recent years I have focused on the Giro and first on the Tour of the Alps, a race that I love and where I like to be because the route suits my characteristics well . This year we have changed the calendar and we will focus more on the Tour de France and I will want to be in the Ardennes first," he continued. Throughout the spring he will also be ambitious, having in Itzulia Basque Country and the Ardennes classics his main goals.

"I think they're races where I can do well and I've never been 100%. Coming out of the Basque Country in good shape I think that this year I can go and feel good at that moment," he concluded.