Sergio Higuita looks to change season planning in order to "get to the Grand Tours in a better physical state"

Sergio Higuita is one of the best climbers in the current peloton, however he hasn't yet had much success in the Grand Tours. The BORA - hansgrohe riders aknowledges that in a recent interview and talks of changes to his planning.

"In every race, I was competing at a maximum level, but that wears you down and my performance suffered a bit in the Vuelta a España," Higuita told Cyclingnews. "This year, I'm looking at how I can manage things better and get to the Grand Tours in a better physical state – less tired and able to fight for a stage win."

Higuita has won the Volta a Catalunya in 2022, finished second at the Tour de Suisse, fourth at Il Lombardia and fifth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. A successful season, and he acknowledges that he has specialization in this field with the hilly classics and the week-long stage-races.

He who is currently racing the Vuelta a San Juan has not yet announced his goals for the spring. "I want to be on some podiums in shorter stage races and I want to be up there in the Ardennes too," he hints however.

Last year he failed to perform at the Vuelta a Espana however, his sole Grand Tour of the season. He's finished only once in the Top10. He has in 2019 won a stage, but has aswell over his four Grand Tour participations never finished in the Top10, something surprising from a climber of his level.

"In the future perhaps, but I've been missing a bit for the Grand Tours up to now. When I do them, I often get tired or ill, so I need my body to adapt a bit more to get used to the demands of racing for three weeks," he explains.

Before that however, Higuita will be trying to defend his Colombian national title in early February before travelling to Europe.

"On Friday, we'll see how the legs are when it's more of a mano a mano between the climbers. I'll try to keep the jersey, but the most important thing for me is to enjoy the race and to put on a show for the people," he concluded.