Mikel Landa to make season debut at Ruta del Sol ahead of Giro d'Italia attempt
Team Sky's Mikel Landa will begin his 2017 season at the Ruta del Sol in preparation for the Giro d'Italia

Team Sky's Giro d'Italia co-leader Mikel Landa will begin his racing season at the Ruta del Sol in Spain next week (February 15-19).
In what is set to be the season's first big battle on European soil between the best general classification riders, Landa will lead a Sky team that also includes Wout Poels and debutant Diego Rosa.
After abandoning the Giro d'Italia with illness on stage 10 last year, Landa will share leadership responsibilities with Geraint Thomas in this year's race.
The Ruta del Sol is seen as Landa's first test against other GC riders, including Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) who is also targeting the Giro.
>>> ‘Mikel Landa paid the price at Team Sky. Astana are interested in men, not robots’
Alberto Contador is making his debut for Trek-Segafredo in the Spanish race, while Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) will also be aiming for the overall win.
The race, that takes place in the Andalusia region of Spain, has a summit finish on stage two and an 11.9-kilometre time trial the day after.
After the Ruta del Sol, Landa will then race Tirreno-Adriatico in early- to mid-March before racing the Tour of Catalonia alongside Chris Froome later in the month.
Landa, who joined Sky from Astana in 2015 when he finished third at the Giro, will then defend his title at the Giro del Trentino, which finishes just over two weeks before the Tour of Italy begins on May 5.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
“I should be doing my final exams but instead I’m riding the Giro!”
Cycling Weekly meets Team Mendelspeck, one of the amateur teams riding the Giro Donne
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
'We expected chaos': Ineos Grenadiers survive to fight on at Tour de France
Geraint Thomas crashes, but loses only 13 seconds to Pogačar as cobbles wreak Tour havoc
By James Shrubsall • Published
-
Egan Bernal takes next step of his comeback at altitude training camp in Andorra
The Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner on the road to recovery after horror crash in January
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'I had proper fever and chills' - Adam Yates bounces back from Covid for Tour de France
British rider heads to fifth Tour de France as one of Ineos Grenadiers' leader, but with doubts over form
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'I’m just going to try and enjoy myself' — Geraint Thomas readies himself for his 12th Tour de France
Ineos Grenadiers are targeting the yellow jersey with Thomas, Adam Yates and Dani Martínez
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'Dismiss Geraint Thomas at your peril' — Bradley Wiggins sees Welshman as Tour de France 'underdog'
Ineos Grenadiers rider will head to Tour off the back of Tour de Suisse win
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'It’s super nice to be at the pointy end again' — Geraint Thomas back in Tour de France conversation after Tour de Suisse victory
Ineos Grenadier rider reminds peloton of his GC ability by triumphing in Switzerland
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Geraint Thomas takes overall victory at Tour de Suisse as Remco Evenepoel wins stage eight time-trial
The Welshman has found his form ahead of the Tour de France
By Pete Trifunovic • Published
-
Covid threatens to disrupt Tour de France line-up
Virus sweeps through the peloton at key preparation races with Tour de Suisse race leader Vlasov forced to abandon
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Adam Yates out of Tour de Suisse with covid
Brit returns a positive test for coronavirus but the rest of Ineos Grenadiers will race on in Switzerland.
By Tom Thewlis • Published