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
Giro d'Italia: Which GC contenders lost time on stage 4
By Daniel Ostanek last updated
News Almeida out of the reckoning as Bernal, Landa, Vlasov, Ciccone and Carthy gain time
Landa: I felt I was a favourite since before the Giro d'Italia
By Barry Ryan published
News Basque’s rasping attack splits group of favourites at Sestola
Philippa York's Giro d'Italia favourites
By Philippa York last updated
Feature York runs her expert eye over Bernal, Yates, Landa, Evenepoel and more
Landa: Giro d'Italia could be my first Grand Tour win
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Basque rider names Carthy, Yates and Bernal as favourites
Bahrain Victorious 'all-in' for Mikel Landa at Giro d'Italia
By Patrick Fletcher published
News Bilbao, Caruso, Mader, Mohoric provide support
Form ranking: Giro d’Italia 2021 contenders
By Patrick Fletcher last updated
From the tuned-up favourites to those running a little rough we comb through the contenders at this year's first Grand Tour
Form ranking: Tour de France 2021 contenders, part 2
By Patrick Fletcher published
Feature Roglič moves past Pogačar into top spot after Itzulia Basque Country
Landa: I'm going to the Giro d'Italia to try and win
By Alasdair Fotheringham published
News Bahrain Victorious leader says 'anything could happen' on Itzulia Basque Country final stage
Blogs
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'Untapped gold' in store for inaugural RADL GRVL in South Australia
Nathan Haas calls gravel course 'raw, fast, exciting' after pre-ride with co-founder Valtteri Bottas -
UCI Gravel Worlds - new course, same criticisms cast doubt on event
Nathan Haas hears feedback from fellow riders on course elevation being 'selective without being stupid' -
Nathan Haas blog: We need to talk about the Unbound mud pit
Was it wrong to not re-route the course? -
Ellen van Dijk - Leading by example
'I have the chance to show the world how normal it should be to perform at a top level as a mother' -
Rukhsar Habibzai - The day I left home
'It is a story shared by thousands of Afghans. It is the day we left home, left our souls and left Afghanistan'