Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorius) revealed that he will likely take on the Giro d'Italia and then the Tour de France in 2021, returning to his strategy of two Grand Tours in a row in one season, which he did in 2017 and 2019.

"I've had a good rest and I'm ready," he said. And after Catalunya or Tirreno-Adriatico, I'm going to take part in the Iturria (Tour of the Basque Country)."

In a roller-coaster race at the 2017 Giro d'Italia that included a huge mid-race crash, Landa finished 21st but took the stage win and the mountains title. In the five Grand Tours since then, Landa's lowest finish was seventh in the 2018 Tour de France, and he finished fourth in last year's Tour for the second time in his career.

When asked if his GC-based stance of competing in the Giro and Tour would change this year, Landa was adamant that it would not, mentioning that "if I start suffering in the third week of the Tour, my goals might change."

Regarding the Tour's route, which has far more time trials than in 2020, Landa admitted

that racing against time has never been his strong suit. The more mountains, the better, and the fewer time trials, the better. I intend to make the most of the mountain stages."

Regarding the difference between his fourth place overall at the Tour de 2020 and his best GC finish since his third place at the 2015 Giro, and his fourth place overall at the same race in 2017, Landa admitted that his emotions on each occasion were a little different

In 2017, after doing the Giro I came to the Tour, and this year was a completely different season because of the COVID pandemic."

After a season in which a new generation of pros won both the Giro and the Tour, two of Landa's 2020 goals, the now 31-year-old Basque was asked what he thought about trying to stem the rise of younger riders in stage races.

"It is true that they have many qualities as riders and are highly motivated. But let's see if they can live up to those expectations this year with the normal race calendar."

Landa will miss the Vuelta a España for the sixth year in a row because of the Giro/Tour double. Landa, however, ruled out the possibility of a last-minute change in his entry to the Vuelta.

"Euskadi and I are different.

Regarding the second half of the 2021 season, Landa also said that he is aiming to compete in the Olympics, but there are doubts as to whether the riders participating in the Tour will arrive in Japan in time to pass the now-mandated foreign arrival quarantine. In any case, a world championship in cobbled Belgium would not be part of the 2021 goal.

Bahrain-Victorias will begin its first training camp of 2021 on January 13 in Altea, eastern Spain.