Mikel Landa to lead Soudal Quick-Step in La Vuelta a España

Mikel Landa is set to lead the Soudal Quick-Step team in his tenth participation in La Vuelta a España, which begins this Saturday in Monaco. The experienced Spanish climber will have strong support from Italian Filippo Zana and Frenchman Valentin Paret-Peintre, who are also considered contenders for the general classification.

This formidable trio will be joined by Belgians Steff Cras and Fabio Van den Bossche, Italians Alberto Dainese and Gianmarco Garofoli, and British national time trial champion Ethan Hayter. The team's sporting director, Sep Vanmarcke, expressed confidence in the squad's solid composition and their ability to perform across various terrains.

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Mikel brings a lot of experience and comes with a lot of motivation to prove his worth, but Valentin can also do something special, especially after his great performance in the Tour de France. It is a solid team that we are bringing to La Vuelta, and we hope to demonstrate that over the next three weeks of this incredibly tough race.

"Mikel brings a lot of experience and comes with a lot of motivation to prove his worth, but Valentin can also do something special, especially after his great performance in the Tour de France," Vanmarcke stated. "It is a solid team that we are bringing to La Vuelta, and we hope to demonstrate that over the next three weeks of this incredibly tough race."

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We can be among the first on almost any terrain, and that gives us a lot of confidence. With Alberto, we aim to be protagonists in the mass sprints, while for the numerous climbs we have planned, we have several riders who can perform well, attack, and try to achieve a good result.

Soudal Quick-Step is targeting both stage victories and strong overall results. Vanmarcke highlighted the team's versatility, noting their capability to compete on almost any terrain. "We can be among the first on almost any terrain, and that gives us a lot of confidence," he said. "With Alberto, we aim to be protagonists in the mass sprints, while for the numerous climbs we have planned, we have several riders who can perform well, attack, and try to achieve a good result."

The team is determined to continue their winning streak in Grand Tours, having already secured multiple victories in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. They are particularly focused on achieving stage wins in La Vuelta, leveraging their diverse strengths to challenge for podium places.

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We are determined to fight for stage victories and continue our streak of wins in the Grand Tours, after already achieving multiple victories in both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.