23/12/2024

Mikel Landa, new rider for the Sky team.

Miercoles 22 de Julio del 2015

Mikel Landa, new rider for the Sky team.

Mikel Landa signs with the Sky team. The Astana rider, third in the Giro d'Italia, signs a two-year contract with the British team.

Mikel Landa signs with the Sky team. The Astana rider, third in the Giro d'Italia, signs a two-year contract with the British team.

Note

Mikel Landa will run the next two seasons with Christopher Froome's Sky

The British team offers him about 1.5 million euros per year and enough chances to compete in important races such as the Giro d'Italia or the Vuelta a España. "The Tour as a leader can still wait, I'm young," says the 25-year-old from Álava. He even considers going as a helper to France before taking the lead if he continues with the current progression.

Movistar already tried to get his services

when his journey with Euskaltel Euskadi ended, but Eusebio Unzúe couldn't convince him then or now. The Navarrese have put a lot of effort into it but Landa has opted for Sky since he sees many contenders in the telephonic team. And Froome, however, focuses only on the Tour and leaves space for other first swords.

Katusha, BMC and Astana itself have also been mentioned

but Michelle Acquadro has closed the commitment with the English. Although Landa's agent is his friend Koldo Fernández de Larrea, the former sprinter belongs to the Italian's team who have preferred to conduct the negotiations in person and, moreover, on-site during the rest day of the Tour. Landa will coincide in Sky with two good friends (a circumstance that has also helped him make the final decision): Beñat Intxausti (who will also sign) and Mikel Nieve. Now he has an uncertain end of the season at Astana since the Kazakhs are aware of an agreement that is not yet official. For now, he will no longer be the leader in the Vuelta a España (Aru is called up and Nibali could also run it).

The young man from Álava will reappear in the San Sebastián Classic

and then will compete in Castilla y León before facing the Vuelta Ciclista. If things don't go wrong, he will try to help his team leaders and will look for a stage win as he did in the Giro. Astana didn't worry too much about him when he had a cytomegalovirus at the beginning of this season and took away his chances in the transalpine round in favor of Fabio Aru. In the end, Landa leaves Astana and seeks a new experience in Great Britain.

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