A strong team, featuring Mikel Landa, will be at the start next Wednesday.
One of the most prestigious races on the calendar, a race where our team has won a total of 16 stages, the Tour de Suisse runs this year between 17-21 June. This means the World Tour event has been cut to just five stages, from the eight of past years, but even in these conditions the organizers found a way for it to visit the German, Italian and French-speaking regions of the country.
The first two days will favor the puncheurs, before stage three brings the sprinters in contention for what is sure to be their only opportunity of the week. The last two days of the 89th edition, a 23.87km individual time trial and a summit finish in Villars-sur-Ollon, will be decisive for the general classification of the last World Tour race before the Tour de France.
Next week’s race comes with some great news for the Wolfpack and all the Landistas out there: Mikel Landa will make his comeback after the Itzulia Basque Country injury that put an end to his goals of April and May. For the 36-year-old, this will be just the second start of his career in the Tour de Suisse, and Mikel is excited to pin a number again.
Tour de Suisse is a good race for a climber, so I’m glad to be at the start.
“It hasn’t been a great season so far for me, as I had some bad luck, and coming into this race I am missing some racing days, but I’m happy to go there, be back in the peloton and improve my shape”, Landa said.
Joining him on the Soudal Quick-Step team will be Alberto Dainese, Gil Gelders, Maximilian Schachmann, Ilan Van Wilder, Louis Vervaeke, and Giro di Sardegna winner Filippo Zana.
“It’s a different Tour de Suisse, with only five stages on the menu and different scenarios for each day. Our riders are motivated to give their best, so we hope for a strong week with some good results”, said sports director Sep Vanmarcke.
Photo credit: ©Szymon Gruchalski / Getty Images
