Mikel Landa gave up Giro d’Italia podium spot to Primoz Roglic by eight seconds, but it’s the first time Landa loses a podium place in the last stage of a Grand Tour.
The Spanish rider ceded a podium spot to Romain Bardet in the 2017 Tour de France by just one second.
“I really fought. I gave everything I had and I couldn’t have done anything better,” Landa said after last stage of the Giro. “I am leaving satisfied because I gave everything I had. It was a difficult challenge. I gave everything, but a specialist like Roglic [beat] me. This is sport.”
“Well, eight seconds is something. I also lost a Tour de France podium by one second. I prefer to lose by eight instead of just one!”
“I am a bit disappointed for my fourth place,” Landa said. “I am happy for Richie’s [Carapaz’s] win and for the team classification also. If every stage I could have gone a half-second faster, I would have been third. At the beginning of the race, you never know what you will need at the end of the race.”
Landa will now turn his attention toward the Tour de France.
“I will have my chance,” he said. “I think we will have two leaders and I will fight for the GC.”
