Spanish cyclist Mikel Landa of team Sky warms up before the start of the 6th stage of 99th Giro d'Italia
Mikel Landa meets the press ahead of the stage(Image credit: Cyclingnews)
Mikel Landa gets into the Team Sky car(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Mikel Landa trains on Wednesday.(Image credit: Courtesy of Polartec-Kometa)
Mikel Landa gets a hand from his Team Sky teammates before pulling the pin(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Sky will make a decision on whether or not to send Mikel Landa to the Tour de France after he rides the Criterium du Dauphine. Spanish newspaper Marca has reported that should Landa put in a good performance at the Dauphine next month, Team Sky will select him as one of the eight to support Chris Froome at the Tour de France.
Landa will ride in support of Froome at the Criterium du Dauphine after the defending champion was confirmed to start by organisers. Tour rival Alberto Contador is also set to compete at the one-week stage race.
Last week Landa, 26, said that he would be open to riding for Froome at the Tour de France following his abandon of the Giro d’Italia due to illness. Landa had been in a strong position in the overall standings after a good time trial on stage 9 but fell ill with a stomach virus over the rest day and was quickly dropped on the first mountain stage during stage 10. He lost over six minutes before finally abandoning. It was the first time that Landa has been forced to quit a Grand Tour.
If Landa is to ride the Tour de France it would be his first appearance at the French Grand Tour, despite seven previous starts in three-week races. Other likely starters for Team Sky at the Tour, alongside Froome, are Geraint Thomas, and Wout Poels.
The Criterium du Dauphine starts on June 5 and finishes on June 12.
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