Mikel Landa Discussion Thread

[Pricey_sky]

Not sure he'd have won had he not crashed as the TT's would have hurt him, but I think its reasonable to presume he'd be right with the GC group, plus showing his form is as good as anyone in the GC group over final week if not better.

 

[MatParker117]

Top 20, Stage Win, Climbers Jersey that's a hell of a recovery.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Insane performance today, but everyone knew he was capable of that. My favourite for tomorrow as well. With the level being so low, he would definitely have contended for the win. Its hard to judge how much energy he has saved not being in the GC-run; my guess is not much at all given the point he crashed and he basically has contested every stage since apart from the sprinter stages.

Aupa Mikel, grande, grande!

 

[Brullnux]

I hath been converted.

Will he give it another go or rest up tomorrow?

 

[lenric]

Re:

I hath been converted.

Will he give it another go or rest up tomorrow?

Rest up for what? I honestly hope that tomorrow he can manage to be on the break again.

 

[May0maniac]

Landa is awesome, I saw him at the start and took a few pics with him, he was talking with a few Basque fans and one of them actually looked like Taxus.

 

[deValtos]

From the cyclingnews article:

"Last year I went home on stage 9 or 10. This year I was caught up in the crash but I've had an excellent third week and I'm going well. I hope that's a sign of what I can do and helps people puts their faith in my ability so that I can perhaps stay here at Team Sky."

I imagine a lot of people won't like to read that. :lol:

As long as he has the legs though he will get support and Sky is at the end of the day one of the best teams (if not the best) for supporting a rider in that goal. Philly D probably gave him more support this Giro than the whole of Astana in 2015 Giro.

"We planned the season around the Giro and we haven't decided for the rest of the season yet. But the team could need a climber for the Tour and it could be me, so we'll see," he revealed.

Not sure whether he will do Tour or Vuelta yet.

 

[Squire]

Please keep him away from the Tour! Hope he'll do Suisse, then win Burgos and rip up a few stages in the Vuelta. He has said he's unable to reach great shape in the second half of the year, but he was quite decent when he won that stage in 2015.

And although I don't like that the blue jersey has taken over from the green as KoM garment in the Giro, I have to say that Landa looks awesome in it.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Landa is awesome, I saw him at the start and took a few pics with him, he was talking with a few Basque fans and one of them actually looked like Taxus.

Like Taxus? Why? Becouse he was wearing a Froome jersey?

I'm very glad for Landa. He got his well deserved win, he will bring the jersey to Milan, good for him.

 

[lenric]

Re: Re:

Landa is awesome, I saw him at the start and took a few pics with him, he was talking with a few Basque fans and one of them actually looked like Taxus.

Like Taxus? Why? Becouse he was wearing a Froome jersey?

I'm very glad for Landa. He got his well deserved win, he will bring the jersey to Milan, good for him.

Nice one

 

[deValtos]

Dave B says they would like him at the TDF.

 

[Squire]

Re:

Dave B says they would like him at the TDF.

That'll be the end of his season then. Wasteful.

 

[bigcog]

Sounds like he'd like to stay at Sky, which is good news if it happens and he gets more chances to go for GC.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

I hath been converted.

Will he give it another go or rest up tomorrow?

Rest up for what? I honestly hope that tomorrow he can manage to be on the break again.

Just enjoying himself I guess and taking a well deserved rest. I feel bad for his teammates and so the effort they've put in, first Rosa now Henao, so maybe to celebrate he'll chill out. He's won the GPM classification already right?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Sounds like he is happy at Sky, if he is more confident in his form over the first half of the season and wants to keep targeting the Giro then Sky is a perfect fit. He can lead/co-lead there for as long as he likes in this form. He also gets a decent team alongside him too.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I expect Brailsford, who I consider very intelligent, to pick Landa for the Vuelta instead of the Tour considering everything. It obviously may be another matter if Poels can't ride the Tour or is far from top shape, but they still have Geraint, Nieve, Henao.

 

[Poursuivant]

The gents on the cycling podcast said There is a basque coach at Sky who Landa knew beforehand and works well with, and this might be a reason he wants to stay as well.

 

[CTQ]

Re:

The gents on the cycling podcast said There is a basque coach at Sky who Landa knew beforehand and works well with, and this might be a reason he wants to stay as well.

They had to talk about Xabier Artetxe . And last year, Team Sky also hired a carer , close to Landa, who worked at Euskaltel-Euskadi

 

[gregrowlerson]

Re:

I expect Brailsford, who I consider very intelligent, to pick Landa for the Vuelta instead of the Tour considering everything. It obviously may be another matter if Poels can't ride the Tour or is far from top shape, but they still have Geraint, Nieve, Henao.

This. Particularly with Thomas' unforeseen Giro withdrawel, and thus already being in the process of resting up to be a super domestique for Froome in July.

After all of his breakaway efforts here, Landa probably wouldn't be much use then anyway as a support rider.

But if they send him to the Vuelta then he can be one of the overall favourites and ride with Froome as co-leader.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Lol landa won't be getting co-leadership at the British team with the 'British' Froome seriously targetting the Tour-Vuelta double and having a really good chance at completing it, especially given he would have done it last year minus Formigal and maybe even in 2015 given how low the level was in the Vuelta

But he will probably be a protected rider

 

[rick james]

Landa won't be at the tour

 

[dusty red roads]

I hope not, it would be a big waste! And if he stays at Sky he'd still wind up having to share the Giro leadership with ol' St Thomas, he needs his own team where he's the undisputed leader.

 

[silvergrenade]

Re:

Froome shared co-leadership with Konig at the Vuelta.
If the strongest rider in the world can co-lead, so can Landa.

At the Giro, Sky have shown that he'll be protected as well as anybody.
He's happy at Sky and although Sky Management wont be overtly happy they would give him an extension and a pay rise I think if he podiums the Giro 2018.

 

[Jolene]

Re: Re:

Froome shared co-leadership with Konig at the Vuelta.
If the strongest rider in the world can co-lead, so can Landa.

At the Giro, Sky have shown that he'll be protected as well as anybody.
He's happy at Sky and although Sky Management wont be overtly happy they would give him an extension and a pay rise I think if he podiums the Giro 2018.

He gets a pay rise now. According to Marca its Froome who wants him in the Tour. Must mean that Poels isn't 100% yet.

 

[staubsauger]

I'd rather go to Switzerland in case that Poels ain't fit right on time than to France if I was Landa.

Brailsford calls the shots of course.