"UAE's approach suits me": Antonio Tiberi can't wait to line up against Pogacar in his debut Tour de France

Antonio Tiberi turns 25 next week, and his team Bahrain - Victorious had prepared a special present for him - a Tour de France debut. With six Grand Tour participations under his belt, the Italian is by no means a rookie, but Grande Boucle is still quite a special race, he acknowledges.

"It is exciting," he told bici.pro. "I feel the same way I did when I was preparing to ride the Giro for the first time. There is a little anxiety because you are about to do something new. I am curious to test myself and discover what I can achieve."

Tiberi has already been fifth overall at the Giro d'Italia two years ago, proving that he definitely knows the ins and outs of riding general classification. Just like his mentor Damiano Caruso, who believes Tiberi can do even better at the French race.

"Damiano has been saying for years that the Tour is a stage race that is better suited to my characteristics than the Giro or the Vuelta," Tiberi said. "That is why I am curious to see how those feelings translate onto the road. The sports directors and my teammates have told me that the Tour de France is a world of its own. It is a completely different story."

Of course, the startlist at Tour is impossible to compare to the Giro, as virtually every top GC contender seems to be making their way to Barcelona this July. And leading the pack is Tadej Pogacar, supported by the world's best team. Yet, Tiberi seems unphased by the Slovenian:

"I know Pogačar’s way of racing quite well, as well as how UAE operate when he is there," Tiberi said. "I have to admit that their approach suits me. They make the race hard from the beginning, but they keep it steady. When I am feeling good, I like that way of racing."

And the list of top-result candidates doesn't end there... Two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard, or this year's comet Paul Seixas will put Tiberi's preparation to a test too.

"I know that the strongest riders will be there, in top form, from Pogacar to Vingegaard, Seixas, Ayuso, and Del Toro. There will also be many other riders ready to seize an opportunity. For my part, I want to enjoy this first Tour de France and keep my feet on the ground. I'd like to arrive in Paris with good results to understand how to approach it from a future perspective and with what ambitions."

But Tiberi highlights that they key is too "block out" the others, and first see where he stands. "I do not want to focus on my rivals," he said. "I will stay concentrated on myself and on discovering my limits. But if there is an opportunity to fight, I certainly will not hold back."

The full extent of Bahrain's nomination is not yet known, however Lenny Martinez is very much expect to start alongside Tiberi as co-leaders. In addition, experienced stage hunters Pello Bilbao and Matej Mohoric are on the provisional startlist.

"Lenny and I will be the leaders," Tiberi confirmed that there's not a clear hierarchy among the two at the moment. "Then the road will decide, day by day, depending on how the three weeks develop."

Veteran Damiano Caruso had already completed the Giro in May, but Tiberi expects Bahrain's road captain to be part of Tour selection too: "He [Caruso] should be there, he is still resting after the Giro, but since he didn't race it to get into the general classification he came out of it less tired," he concluded.