Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 22, 2025

Mikel Landa hopes Tour de France fans enjoy Bahrain-McLaren's aggression

Mikel Landa hopes Tour de France fans enjoy Bahrain-McLaren's aggression

Mikel Landa and Bahrain-McLaren again went on the attack at the Tour de France, this time dropping rivals during the stage 18 fight on the Plateau des Gliéres.
If at first you don’t succeed — attack, attack again.

That was the mantra of Mikel Landa during Thursday’s 18th stage of the Tour de France, which featured a sharks tooth-like profile across the high Alps.

One day after Landa had his Bahrain-McLaren teammates punish the peloton on the slopes of the Col de la Loze, he again went on the offensive, this time on the Plateau des Gliéres.

As the group of GC favorites labored up the steep penultimate climb of the day, Landa bolted from the group alongside teammate Damiano Caruso in a 1-2 punch that appeared to catch his rivals by surprise.

Caruso set a hard tempo for Landa as the two sped away from the bunch, while Jumbo-Visma came to the front of the pack to increase the tempo for race leader Primož Roglič.

“After yesterday’s stage I think our team was feeling very motivated and very confident,” Landa said. “I hope our fans enjoyed, and know that we tried to do something today.”

As Jumbo-Visma upped the tempo, a few GC stars were spat out the back. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) and Rigoberto Urán (EF Pro Cycling) both lost the group and faded on the climb.

Landa’s aggression marked a turnaround from his dismal ride on Wednesday.

Landa and his Bahrain-McLaren team became the subject of jokes on social media on Wednesday after their aggression on the Col de la Loze bore no fruit. Landa was dropped shortly after his final Bahrain-McLaren peeled off the diminished front group, and the Basque rider crossed the line 1:20 behind winner Miguel Ángel López. The time loss bore a fatal blow to Landa’s hunt for the final podium in Paris.

Despite the setback, Bahrain-McLaren showed early aggression on Thursday. Pello Bilbao attacked into the day’s early breakaway alongside eventual winner Michał Kwiatkowski and his Ineos Grenadiers teammate Richard Carapaz. Team management told Bilbao to try and win the stage, in what is just his second Tour de France.

“I saw a good opportunity to fight for the stage; also if my job was not needed for Mikel I had the freedom to go for the stage,” Bilbao said.

Bilbao rode alongside the Ineos duo until the top of the Plateau des Gliéres, when the hard tempo set by Carapaz slowly pushed him off the back. As the two Ineos Grenadiers rode on toward the stage win, Bilbao continued to pedal up the climb. The situation was strangely beneficial for the Bahraini team, as it occurred just as Landa attacked.

Thus, Bilbao waited on the road for Landa to ride up to him.

“In the end, I couldn’t fight for the stage victory. It’s a pity but almost in the same moment I was losing, I was hearing that Mikel was attacking from behind,” Bilbao said. “So, I had one more reason to continue fighting I wait for him, and some important guys in the GC were dropped, so I had another opportunity to do a good job in the front.”

Landa was joined by an elite group containing top GC stars Primož Roglič, Tadej Pogačar, Enric Mas, and Miguel Ángel López. When the group reached Bilbao, Landa has his teammate ride on the front to push the pace. Eventually, Bahrain-McLaren was aided by Jumbo-Visma, and the group rode all the way to the line together.

While the aggression did not push Landa into the podium, it did help him vault two spots forward on general classification. He now sits in 5th place overall, just 22 seconds out of Richie Porte’s fourth place, and 2:01 behind López in third.

“We had a good strategy and we dropped some contender,” Landa said. “It’s difficult not to be better. But we tried and I hope you all enjoyed the day.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
×