In a report in the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, analyst Michel Wuyts discusses Mikel Landa, whom Wuyts has been a ‘fan’ of for years. “Landa is an enigma. I was captivated from early on. Landa is an elegant climber, the style and the way he sits on his bike is incomparable. There were days he dominated everyone uphill. Yet, he never managed to be a champion in a 3-week Grand Tour.”
Landa seemed capable of winning a major tour, but that never materialized. “I’ve talked about this with Spanish colleagues. Landa has two problems: he’s not good at time trials, and when expectations become too high, he disappoints. It’s a mental issue. In Spain, he’s described as chaotic, a dreamer lacking self-awareness. And you have to shake your head at him from time to time.”
Nevertheless, Wuyts believes that Landa will be of great value to Evenepoel. “It worked with Sky because without Landa, Froome would have won one Tour less. In 2017, he was at his best: he led the whole final climb, brought Froome to the last kilometers, and he himself finished in a prominent position. This can’t just end. If Lefevere can surround him with good people with psychological insight, then this could be a very good transfer.”
