Another high-profile rider out of 2026 Tour de France - Mikel Landa won't be named in Soudal Quick-Step team

Mikel Landa will not start the 2026 Tour de France. The Basque rider from Soudal Quick-Step is out of the Grande Boucle line-up, despite the race being one of his key targets this season. The decision is another setback for the rider, whose campaign had already been complicated from the start of the year by injury.

The news was first reported by Ciro Scognamiglio of La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Mikel Landa will not be in Soudal Quick-Step’s final selection for the Tour de France 2026, as confirmed by sources this morning, June 26th”

The Spanish rider missed the 2026 Giro d’Italia after sustaining a pelvic fracture during Itzulia, a blow that halted his Grand Tour build-up. He returned to racing on June 17th at the Tour de Suisse, aiming to regain rhythm and convince the team ahead of the Tour, which will roll out from Barcelona on July 4th

However, the sensations in Switzerland did not meet expectations. Landa failed to reach the required competitive level and abandoned on the final stage, notably the race’s only high-mountain day, a telling detail given his ambitions.

Landa’s participation in the Tour de Suisse was pivotal to his recovery. The goal was to assess his condition after the injury suffered at Itzulia and evaluate whether he could reach the Tour de France in optimal shape.

But the race left significant doubts. Withdrawing on the last stage, a high-mountain day, exposed that he had not yet reached his best version, a decisive factor for a three-week contest like the Grande Boucle.

The 2026 Tour de France was one of Mikel Landa’s major season goals. However, the delayed recovery from his pelvic fracture and a lack of race sharpness have ultimately excluded him from the team’s selection.

It is another setback in a difficult year for the Basque rider, whose preparations for the Grand Tours have been constrained since spring.

In Landa’s absence, Soudal Quick-Step’s Tour de France leadership will shift to other riders. The leading names include Valentin Paret-Peintre, a stage winner on Mont Ventoux in last year’s Tour, and Ilan Van Wilder, who also profiles as an option for the general classification.

The Belgian team will thus approach the Grande Boucle with a structure different from the initial plan, forced to readjust after losing one of its most experienced climbers.