'There’s one step where he is, then an intermediate step, and then the rest of us' - Mikel Landa puts Pogacar dominance into perspective

Speaking to MARCA ahead of his first races of the campaign, Landa reflected on how the hierarchy in modern cycling has shifted, with Tadej Pogačar setting a benchmark few can reach. “He’s on another level. There’s one step where he is, then an intermediate step, and then the rest of us,” Landa said, summing up the current pecking order.

It is a candid admission from a rider who has spent more than a decade competing at the top, but it does not signal a lack of ambition. Instead, it marks a recalibration. “It’s getting more complicated, so I prefer to focus more on fighting for a stage and still being there in the overall, but maybe without that obsession with the podium,” he explained.

Landa begins his season in Catalunya with his motivation unchanged. “Nothing in particular makes this season special, but I hope to enjoy it like all the others, have fun and make the most of every moment,” he said.

The Volta a Catalunya, which features riders such as Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and João Almeida, comes at a point in the calendar where preparation alone is no longer enough. “It’s not enough anymore just to build race rhythm, it’s already March. You have to take the opportunities that come,” Landa said. “There are very strong rivals, so winning will be difficult, but we’ll try to be there.”

Adapting to the sport’s constant evolution has been part of his journey in the sport. “Things like watts have been with me since I turned pro, so I’m used to that. But newer trends like heat training are harder for me,” Landa admitted. “Overall I’ve adapted as best as I can.”

Longevity, he believes, is built on resilience. “A lot of sacrifice and the ability to recover. Our performance is based on daily recovery, whether it’s to reach top form or come back from injuries,” he said.

As for what comes next, Landa is not ready to draw conclusions. “I don’t know if this will be my last year. In my mind, I want to keep going,” he said. “We’ll see during the year if it’s here or elsewhere, how and under what conditions, but right now my idea is to continue.”