Mikel Landa's return from his last five Vuelta a España appearances has been underwhelming, and he downplayed the prospect of improving that record at this year's event, which opens Friday in Utrecht.

Landa finished third at the Giro d'Italia in May, his second career Grand Tour podium.

He downplayed his potential at a press conference on the eve of the Vuelta because of "muscle problems" that interrupted his training in July.

"I had a problem before Burgos that stopped me for a month. Since then I have trained well, but I haven't had much time and miracles don't happen," Landa said in a videoconference.

It is never easy to decipher Landa's form before the Vuelta. A year ago, for example, he went into the race buoyed by his overall victory at the Vuelta a Burgos, but that victory was actually a surprise to him and his Bahrain Victorias team.

The Basque felt the effects of the big crash that ended the Giro a few months earlier were still lingering, and his challenge for the Vuelta petered out once the race entered the mountains.

Landa's best Vuelta appearance since his only stage win in 2015 on an epic mini-stage to Cortals-Dunkamp in Andorra was 25th in Madrid that year. Meanwhile, Landa has been fruitful in the Tour and Giro, with two fourth-place finishes in Paris and a podium finish in Verona this year.

"I want to be competitive in the Vuelta, but this time I'm not arriving in the same form as in other events and other races.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do that," Landa said.

"It's a shame I'm not in a bit better shape, but in any case I'll give it my all and we'll see later if I can go for GC or a stage win. I just want to keep everyone entertained."

Regardless of his later ambitions, Landa hopes to emerge unscathed from the early stages of the Vuelta in the Netherlands. The route for stage 4 to La Guardia will take the riders through Landa's hometown of Murja and along training roads, including the finale in Puerto de Herrera.

"It will be a nicer Vuelta for me because I'll be in Vitoria and the Basque Country most days," Landa said. "It's going to be a nervous stage, and it's going to be a stage where you can make a difference. I don't think they'll let me go unless I lose a bit of time by then, but I know the roads well, so it could be a good chance for a stage win."

Without Landa, Bahrain Victorious attracted more attention than its performance on the road, as police searched its hotel before the start in Copenhagen.

Landa will be flanked in this Vuelta by Gino Mader, who won a stage last year, and Santiago Buitrago, who won solo in the Giro Lavarone. Buitrago warmed up for the Vuelta by finishing eighth overall on the opening stage in Burgos.

"It's my first time doing two Grand Tours in one year, so I don't know how my body will react, but I had a good workout at home in Colombia," Buitrago said.

"For me it was quite complicated. It was my first season as a professional and it was a weird season, so the conditions weren't the best. It was hard, but it was still fun. The Vuelta changed me a little bit. This time it will be a bit different because I have more experience and confidence."