Mikel Landa Meana is lucky. He lives in Amurrio with his wife and son and faces this new campaign with the colors of the Belgian Soudal-Quick Step. “I have already been to a few concentrations with them and the truth is that I felt very good. I wanted a change of scenery and trying different things. I'm very excited about the new project. They're heavily focused on the classics, but it seems they're now also very interested in the Big Three. “They are a Belgian team and you can see that they are very professional in every way,” he said.
Giving a brief look back at his life as a cyclist, he said: “I have very good memories of my first years. In fact, the friends I started with at Zuyano Cycling Club are the ones I still have. So it was all a lot of fun, we were excited We go to the competition every weekend with our parents, who also get along very well with each other. Now it’s fun too, but in a different way, with more responsibility,” he added confidently.
After going through all the categories, he turned pro and started winning races. “I have good memories of all the victories, but if I have to choose one, it might be Garrastatxu in Itzulia. I did it at home, in front of my family and friends. Things hadn't been going well for me for a while and it was like the beginning of my recovery. Now I feel good, the truth is that I am getting years old but I have good feelings,” he explained.
Landa will start the season in the Algarve and then plans to do the Volta a Catalunya, Itzulia, the Ardennes, the Dauphine and the Tour de France. In the second part of the campaign he will take part in the Vuelta. “Last year I didn’t really want to do it, but I had to run it, so this year With time and mentality I will compete and fight for the podium. During the tour, I will pay more attention to helping Remco. I used these concentrations to talk to him and we got along very well,” he explained.
When asked which of the three major stage races was his favorite, he reflected on it and confirmed what was an open secret: “There is a special atmosphere there at the Giro. The Tour is very big and has enormous importance and in the Vuelta you ride at home. This year, for example, we have another stage from Álava.” Another race that has always caught his attention is the Giro de Lombardia. He doesn't like cobblestone racing or very flat days with a lot of crosswinds. “It is very easy to be cut off, you suffer a lot,” he explained.
The runner from Murgia has been living in Amurrio with his wife and son for several months. There he held a conference in Antzokia, which Diario AS also took part in. He wore a Zuyano jersey from when he started cycling and the bike he used at Bahrain-Victorious. Now he will have another mount with the Soudal Quick-Step. “Despite it I still have a few years to keep fighting“, he explained. Everything ended with photos, autographs, etc Selfies with the little ones. Friends, his family and people from Basque cycling in general attended the event.
It remains to be seen whether he is among those called up for the Paris Olympics, even if the route is not particularly good for him. In addition, there are the world championships and other tests where he could appear in 2024. What he requires from the year is health and not illnesses or falls. A few years ago, he suffered from mononucleosis and also had a bad patch in the operating room because he hit his bones on the floor. These are times when you think about giving up your habits and moving on to other things.
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