Take3 weeks ago
Mikel Landa arrives at the Vuelta a España 2026 not chasing GC — chasing a reason to be on a bike at all. A broken pelvis from Itzulia Basque Country 2026, a back injury that cut his Tour de France 2026, and months of joyless training have reduced his stated goal to surviving the first week.
When asked whether recovery had at least let him enjoy riding, Landa's answer was three words: «Not even in training.» He has said as much publicly — «I haven't recovered 100 per cent» — and framed starting the Vuelta as the lesser of two bad options: «It would be worse not to race.» At 36, in his final season at Soudal-Quick-Step before moving to Euskaltel-Euskadi, this is not a comeback story. It is what endurance looks like when the ambition has already been taken away.
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