"Riding a GC is not realistic" - Mikel Landa going into La Vuelta with the aim of winning stages

The Vuelta a España is going to see Jonas Vingegaard go in as the man to beat and a heap of strong climbers aiming for top positions including those of UAE Team Emirates - XRG. In his best form, it would be very viable for Mikel Landa to contest or even be on the final podium, but at the time being it does not seem like that will be happening.

"The injury was complicated, so I don't know what to expect. It was a serious crash, but in Burgos, the third and fourth stages were key moments. Mikel showed there that he's truly back, despite struggling on the final day. And that's not easy, because the body struggles to return to a certain level at such a time," team DS Iljo Keisse said in an interview with Bici. 

A nasty fall on the opening day of the Giro d'Italia saw Landa suffer fractured vertebrae and it was feared that his season could have been over right there. Luckily that is not the case for the Basque rider, who returned to competition at the Vuelta a Burgos. Whilst far from his best form, a 14th place at the summit finish at Lagunas de Neila is proof that he is back to a somewhat competitive level.

"Mikel's condition is still developing, but the work done so far is excellent. And that gives me confidence. Mikel is a leader, a gentleman, and someone who is easy to manage. He's demanding, but also flexible. He has qualities that allow him to demand a lot from himself, but that also ensure he recovers quickly mentally."

"Therefore, riding a GC is not realistic. We expect him to go for a few stage wins; we're not putting pressure on him to lose any time in the first few days. He might stay in the top ten or top twenty, but we don't want to overload him," Keisse concluded.