After two seasons away, Basque climber 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pello Bilbao will be heading back to the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Giro d’Italia in 2025 as his 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Bahrain Victorious team look to bounce back from a 2024 season which fell sh𒁃y of their own expectations.
Bahrain Victori꧒ous achieved 13 wins in 2024, the third-lowest total in their history, with four coming at WorldTour level but crucially none in a Grand Tour, which had become fertile ground for the team over the past few years. The team had won six Grand Tour stages the preceding season and had twelve w⭕ins in the WorldTour.
Bilbao will be one🌃 of the most experienced members of a youthful team in 2025, with half of the riders below the age of 25. Although disappointed at how the team had fared this season, he is confident that they can t🦂urn things around next year.
"The timer is now at zero ," Bilbao told at a team training camp t♌his week. "The mood within the team is much better. The lack of results made us feel a bit stressed last year and we have forgotten that and can concentrate on working towards what is coming.
"Of course, this season has been disappointing compared to the previous one," he said. "I would say that, as a unit, in 2023 we performed above expectations and everything went our ཧway. Last year, on the other hand, we suffered quite a few problems, and very important riders were injured or ill at key momen🦹ts of the campaign."
Bahrain Victorious have brought in a raft of emerging talent ahead of the 2025 season, with nine new signings in total. The stand-out among them is ♛Frenchman Lenny Martinez from Groupama-FDJ, around whom the team is building the𝕴ir Tour de France plans. Former Ineos Grenadiers Manager Rod Ellingworth has been brought in to steer Martinez’s tilt at La Grande Boucle.
It’s𒊎 undecided as to whether Bilbao will also be part of those Tour plans for 2025. The 33-year-old won a stage at the 2023 Tour de Fr꧋ance, but his main focus for the 2025 season will be a race which he believes suits him the best.
"I'm really motivated to be back at the Giro," Bilbao said. "It's the Grand Tour where I feel most comfortable; I'd almost say I'm in ⛎my element.”
In 2022, Bilbao finished fifth at the Giro d’Italia, his best general classification result in a Grand Tour. Three years earlier, he won 💎stages 7 and 20 of the 2019 race. Bilbao suggested that he may not chase the GC at the 2025 Giro as his first priority, but will look to play a fre🌌e hand for stage wins.
&ldquo𒀰;The Tour has given me a lot; the stage win two years ago probably gave me the strongest emotions I've ever experienced in cycling,&rdq𝓀uo; he said.
“Even so, the Giro has always been sp🦂ecial to me and I see that it's a race that can give me more opportunities to ride my waꦕy…by playing a second fiddle, moving from a distance without being tied to the general classification and looking for stage wins."
Bilbao took just one win in 2024, stage four of the Tour of Slovenia, his leanest return since the pandem🎀ic-hit 2020 season. He also achieved podium placings at the UAE Tour, Tour of Slovenia and GP Montreal.
He said a lack of consistency due to several bouts of illness throughout the year put 🔴paid to his chances of better results. He will look to over💫come those setbacks and take a clean run at things for 2025.
“As for me, I want to change what didn't work," he said. "I lacked that continuity of not suffering physical problems, of not falling ♋ill every now and then. And the thing is that cyclists are very delicate in that sense, because we expose ourselves to many risks.
"It's almost a miracle to complete a season without setbacks and to be able to take advantage of your physical condition in eac🌊h race. This year I haven't managed it and, besides, when I was at my best level, I lacked that instinct to fine-tune my shot and shine.ღ"
