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"To do it at the age of 34 gives me a lot of confidence" - Mikel Landa secures 2nd behind Tadej Pogacar at Volta a Catalunya
CyclingSunday, 24 March 2024 at 16:00
Signed primarily as a super domestique for Remco Evenepoel, Mikel Landa got his chance as Soudal - Quick-Step leader at the 2024 Volta a Catalunya. Finishing second overall, it's fair to say the Spaniard thrived.
“I am very happy with this performance," Landa recapped post-final stage, in conversation with Soudal - Quick-Step's official website. "I had little idea what to expect coming into the race, but I felt good from the first day and I am delighted that I could show that on the tough climbs and do a good general classification. We tried to fight for the overall and stage wins here, but it was difficult. This didn’t stop us from giving our best and I want to thank my teammates for their strong effort.”
Whilst Pogacar was a clear winner by over three minutes in the end, Landa consistently proved himself best of the rest in a quality field that included the likes of Enric Mas, Egan Bernal, Joao Almeida and Aleksandr Vlasov among others.
Next up for Landa, the Itzulia Basque Country where he'll be back in the service of Evenepoel. “Second in the standings is my best ever result here, and to do it at the age of 34 gives me a lot of confidence for the Basque Country, which is the best race in the world," he concludes. "I can’t wait to race it with the Wolfpack in just a week from now and I hope to be able to help Remco get a good result there.”
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- Yes, thank you Maria. He has a fractured skull but no pain or sequels and there should be no consequences after the small bump deflates. If anything, he is more likely to get something from the radiation he received when they “investigated” for abuse, CT scan, MRI, a dozen x-rays and he will have to have a follow up scan too. But as said, all due to childbirth, if we hadn’t noticed or worried and not taken him to emergencies, he’d have had no tests at all and instead of one to check the fracture wasn’t serious he got far more :-(Mistermaumau24-11-2024
- Obviously there is the question of enormous willpower but some injuries are extremely specific. A torn meniscus for example can function pretty well during cycling whilst making it close to impossible to go up or down stairs or walk normally.Mistermaumau24-11-2024
- First of all, I hope now all is ok with your baby!. Yeah, about to not accept foreign phone number is a big problem also for me. I have economic interests in 2 countries, I think that all can be ok with my Italian number... but NO! The world is globalized but not for bureaucracies.
maria2024202424-11-2024 - First of all, calm, this is a site to share point of views, doubts, intuitions about cycling. Let's think about it: if someone tells you that he is very tired but is going to run unimportant races immediately, ignoring a world championship much further away in time that would give him the opportunity to rest, there is something very contradictory. Maybe it is fair, but as a simple spectator I (and many others) do not understand it, it does not make sense.maria2024202424-11-2024
- I think the other side has said plenty, given comments about her reputation like what Renz said above. Perhaps this is her chance to speak up against that reputation? I have no idea but her comments seem pretty human, even if each person has their own version of the story.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Give her a team built around her with no competing leaders, like Pogacar has at UAE or Vingegaard has at Visma (seeing how Roglic left), and I wonder how Vollering would do. She’s already so good, and a team dedicated to her could make her even better.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Those injuries, an ability to manage pain and push himself, probably a load of TUEs to help him get back from an awful moment, and competing that hard without the long exercise base that was the norm - no wonder he was exhausted. We’ve now had two consecutive seasons of the second place rider having an injury that interrupts training, and it shows to what level their bodies are tuned for the insane task of winning the Tour. I certainly hope both (and their teams!) are healthy next year. It would be a first, after 4 years.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Winners seem to be like this. Win or lose, it is always on to the next thing. They don’t celebrate the big win, they don’t worry about the painful loss. They move on. It’s an amazing skill. But to be able to ride (and win) while not being able to walk? That’s a level of pain management that boggles my mind. Of course they have it, given what they put their bodies through, but it’s just crazy.RidesHills24-11-2024
- Poor Demi. But she behaves the same way when riding for the national team. Bring me my tiny violin.Renz24-11-2024
- good pointsmij24-11-2024