Mikel Landa, a key mountain support rider for Remco Evenpole, is confident that the Tour de France will encounter the high mountains unusually early on Tuesday.

Back in France on Tuesday, the Tour will take on the Galibier. One of the best-known and toughest Alpine climbs, the Galibier has appeared 39 times in cycling's biggest race, and will be tackled again from its southern side before plunging down to the finish in Valloire for the 40th time and a repeat stage finale in 2019.

The 34-year-old Landa looks in good shape for his eighth Tour, with his recent fifth place in the Spanish championships providing tangible evidence of that.

The Basque racer, who moved from Bahrain-Victorias last winter, has publicly stated that Sudar Quickstep has signed him to support Evenpoel at the Tour, and his mission will be in the spotlight for the first time on Tuesday in the Alps.

"It will be the first big [climbing] test," Landa told Spain's AS newspaper on Monday. "It's a short, hard stage with a fast finish, the UAE will take control of the race and we have to follow them. It won't be a decisive day, but it will be an important one."

Landa, a 10-year senior to Evenpoel, began racing with the Belgian stars at the Volta ao Algarve in February, where he led the Sudar-Quickstep squad in its quest for overall victory, working hard for the Belgians on two of the steepest stages. In Landa's case, he broke his collarbone on stage 5. The two then raced together again at the Criterium du Dauphiné and now at the Tour.

"He's calmer when I'm with him, and that's important for me," Landa said. The Tour is long and, more than anything, he needs to know how hard I'm going to work."

"It's his first Tour de France and there are high expectations surrounding him. If he finishes in the top five or top three, that's good. But the race will determine all the placings."

"My key goal is to stay with Lemko. 'I will give everything for him until the end. After that, we'll see how the race unfolds, whether we'll be looking at a bit of GC or a stage fight. Everything will become clearer as the race progresses."

After two tough first stages through the hills of central Italy, he now sits in 21st place overall. But I'd like to think it's just the heat." In any case, on Tuesday, Landa will get a better chance to get to know his climbing form and race conditions.

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