Giro News: Landa Chases GC Glory for Bahrain Victorious

Mikel Landa, a three-time stage winner at the Giro as well as a GC podium 2015, heads up the Bahrain Victorious squad for the 2021 Giro d’Italia starting on May 8

Giro News: Landa Chases GC Glory for Bahrain Victorious

May 8th in Torino marks the start of the 104th edition of the Giro d’Italia, with Mikel Landa leading the team for Bahrain Victorious. Mikel Landa is a three-time stage winner at the Giro, plus he finished on the podium for the GC in 2015 and was 4th in 2019. Landa comes into the race in excellent form, finishing on the podium at his last race in Italy, Tirreno Adriatico. Mikel will have a strong support team with the versatility to help across all stages.

The first Grand Tour of the year is one of the key objectives for the season, with the entire team working together in preparation for this race. The 104th edition of the Giro d’Italia celebrates 90 years of the iconic Maglia Rosa. The riders will take on 3,479.9 kilometres over 21 stages, climbing over 47,000m, starting with a 9km time trial in Turin.

The race for pink will be one of the most challenging editions, with riders taking on parts of the white roads near the course of Strade Bianche on stage 11. One of the highlights will be the iconic finish up the Monte Zoncolan on stage 14, a gruelling 14km climb averaging 8% with parts as high as 27%.

Matej Mohorič and Jan Tratnik will be passing through their home country on Stage 15, as the Giro crosses into Slovenia, which is also where the team’s service course is also based. The Cima Coppi (the title given to the highest peak of the race) at 2239m will feature on the Queen Stage (16) up the Passo Pordoi through the Dolomites, with the total stage climbing over 5,500m. The race will also pass through Switzerland on the penultimate stage, as the riders will take on the climb of Passo San Bernardino, a 6.2% average over 23.7km.

The finale is a flat 30km time trial from Senago to Milano, where the Maglia Rosa will be decided.

Mikel Landa, Team Bahrain Victorious GC rider for Giro d’Italia: “I am pleased with my present shape. After the Tour of Basque Country, I had few rest days, and now, before my sixth Giro d’Italia, I spent few weeks at an altitude training camp in Teide. I had great conditions and worked hard and very well. I’m feeling very good now, and I believe that I’m in perfect shape for the next and my main objective of the season 2021. I’ve always raced and performed quite well on Giro d’Italia. My overall best was 3rd in 2015 and 4th in 2019. I also had two stage wins at Giro 2015. Giro is a race that I know quite well, and I feel very confident with my teammates. I think that we have an outstanding team around me, so I believe it’s going to be a very, very good month”.

Alberto Volpi, Sports Director: I see that the hardest and the most critical stages will be the Montalcino stage with dirt roads, the stage of Cortina that will be the most amazing one with the beautiful landscapes and the penultimate stage at Alpe di Motta.

Team Bahrain Victorious line-up:
Yukiya Arashiro / Pello Bilbao / Damiano Caruso / Mikel Landa / Gino Mäder / Matej Mohorič / Rafa Valls / Jan Tratnik