Rider Profile
Mikel Landa Meana
Soudal-Quickstep
Personal Details:
Teams history:
- 2024 - Soudal-Quickstep
- 2023 - Bahrain Victorious
- 2022 - Bahrain Victorious
- 2021 - Bahrain Victorious
- 2020 - Bahrain McLaren
- 2019 - Movistar Team
- 2018 - Movistar Team
- 2017 - Team Sky
- 2016 - Team Sky
- 2015 - Astana Pro Team
- 2014 - Astana Pro Team
- 2013 - Euskaltel Euskadi
- 2012 - Euskaltel-Euskadi
- 2011 - Euskaltel-Euskadi
Biography:
Mikel Landa, born in Murgia, Spain on 13 December 1989, turned professional with Euskaltel-Euskadi in 2011 and began to develop into one of the best climbers in the peloton during his tenure at Astana.
Landa’s breakthrough came in 2015, when he threatened to outshine his leader Fabio Aru at the Giro d’Italia. The Basque won mountain stages at Madonna di Campiglio and Aprica, but he followed team orders to desist from a long-range offensive on the penultimate stage to Sestriere. He finished third overall behind Aru and Giro winner Alberto Contador.
After winning a stage of the 2015 Vuelta a España, Landa moved from Astana to Sky, but his tilt at the 2016 Giro was ruined by illness, while a crash at the Blockhaus restricted him to hunting for a stage win the following season.
Landa made amends at the 2017 Tour de France, where he appeared stronger than his Sky leader Chris Froome in the Pyrenees. Despite his reputation as a rebel, Landa dutifully followed team orders in the Alps, reaching Paris just shy of the podium in 4th overall.
In 2018, Landa moved on to Movistar, where he was now sharing leadership duties with Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana, a triumvirate that never added up to the sum of its parts at the Tour. He also placed 4th overall at the 2019 Giro, helping Movistar teammate Richard Carapaz to final victory.
Another move beckoned, and Landa’s time at Bahrain Victorious has seen him alternate solid displays with maddening ill fortune. Landa placed 4th overall at the 2020 Tour but crashes forced him to abandon both the Giro and the Vuelta. In 2022, Landa finally returned to a Grand Tour podium with third overall at the Giro but he was hampered by injury ahead of the Vuelta, placing 15th overall in Madrid.
Landa's attempt at the 2023 Tour de France ended with a crash on stage 8, and he finished a distant 19th behind winner Jonas Vingegaard. He went on to race the Vuelta a España, finishing fifth behind winner Sepp Kuss.
Yet another team transfer came for 2024, when Landa swapped Bahrain for Soudal-Quickstep to pair up with Remco Evenepoel for his Tour de France debut.
Key Results
Third overall, Giro d’Italia 2015, 2022
Fourth overall, Giro d’Italia 2019
Fourth overall, Tour de France 2017, 2020
Winner Giro del Trentino 2016
Winner Vuelta a Burgos 2017
Winner Giro d'Italia stages 15 & 16, 2015; stage 19, 2017
Winner Vuelta a Espana stage 11, 2015
Second, Giro del Trentino 2015
Second, Vuelta a Asturias 2013
Related Articles
Landa wants to be more than third man in fight for Giro d'Italia victory
By Stephen Farrand published
News 'Nobody has shown weakness and anything can happen on Saturday" says Bahrain Victorious leader
Landa fights on at Giro d’Italia despite losing six seconds to Carapaz and Hindley
By Stephen Farrand published
News ‘I’ve got a chance of finishing on the podium but that’s not enough for us’ says Bahrain Victorious leader
Landa and Bilbao involved in bizarre uphill crash at Giro d'Italia - Video
By Katy Madgwick last updated
news Bahrain Victorious riders collide on final climb along mountainous stage 16
Mikel Landa: Giro d'Italia final week could have a lot of surprises
By Barry Ryan published
News Basque hits favoured terrain with manageable deficit
Landa: Taking pink at the Giro for just one day would be a dream come true
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News 'Let's hope that yesterday was my last day of bad luck' he says of crashes on Sunday's Blockhaus stage
Landa banishes bad luck demon on Giro d'Italia Blockhaus stage
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Basque rider crashes twice, needs shoe change, but challenges Carapaz
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