After three years with Vincenzo Nibali as the team's main and, realistically, only Grand Tour contender, Bahrain McLaren has changed things up for 2020, bringing in Mikel Landa from Movistar.

The Spaniard has spent the past six seasons either sharing the Grand Tour leadership with Fabio Aru at Astana and Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde, and Richard Calapaz at Movistar, or working for Chris Froome in the Tour de France with Team Ineos He has worked.

The move to Bahrain means that for the first time Landa is number one in his own team. [At Bahrain McLaren's preseason camp in Croatia, Landa told Cycling News." Feeling the support is very important. I can see they are working a lot and building a very structured team. I think that helps us work better and have clear ideas. I'm very happy with the way the team is organized

"Sometimes when you have to work for somebody, you feel very strongly. But it's not the same."

"There have been times when I've had a chance and the time trial didn't go well or I lost time elsewhere. Sometimes it's hard to pick the right moment."

Landa enjoyed arguably his best Grand Tour campaign last season, finishing fourth in the Giro d'Italia and sixth in the Tour de France, sharing the lead with two other riders.

In 2015, he took two stage wins at the Madonna del Campiglio and the Apprica, as well as a stage win at the Vuelta a España; in the 2017 Tour, he finished fourth behind team leader Froome and took a stage win and the mountains prize at the Giro.

As for 2019, Landa looks back on the season with pride, but says he always wants to do better. He also lamented the loss of time in the Grand Tours, including a time trial that went wrong in the Giro and a crash on stage 10 that cost him two minutes in the Tour.

"I always want to be better," he said. I'm happy though, I think it's not easy to be in two Grand Tours at such a high level."

"Unfortunately, in the Tour I crashed and lost time, and in the Giro I had a very bad start in the time trial and lost time. But I think I had a good level and a good experience and everything will help me in the new season."

Landa will forgo the Giro next year for the second time in seven seasons and, along with Movistar co-leaders Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde, will focus all his efforts on the Tour de France as he did in 2018.

The 2020 route has a lot of climbing and only one time trial, but leans toward climbers given the undulating roads and a finish at the top of La Planche des Belle Filles.

"It's a very appropriate course this year. Lots of climbing and very few time trials. It's a very good opportunity," Landa said.

"It's the main goal of the season, but there are many important races before that. But I'm working so that I can focus on the Tour."

The races before that include Ituria-Basque and the Ardennes Classics, where he will aim for his first peak of the season. Before that, Landa will start his campaign in Ruta del Sol in Andalusia, where he will compete in Tirreno-Adriatico or Paris-Nice. The Criterium du Dauphiné will be the Tour preparation race.

But aside from the Tour, there is another major race that many climbers will be watching next summer. For Landa, it is of interest, but not enough to build a campaign around this race, as Nibali did.

"I want to be in the Olympics. I think it's good for climbers to have a race like that. But we all know that it is difficult to arrive there in less than a week from the tool and with the time difference.

"I want to get there, experience it, and do something. And also the World Championships [the climber course in Switzerland]. Both are very hard. I may not be in the best shape this year, but I'd love to do both."

"Both the Tour and the Olympics are very difficult races. But the Olympics is only one day, so it's very difficult to win. The Tour is also very difficult, but my goal and the team's goal is the Tour. So I can't let this opportunity pass me by."

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