Tour de France 2021 | Page 21

THE RIDERS what we ’ ve achieved in the past . Our team has won a lot of great races and I ’ m still very proud of that . However , we have to recognise that road cycling is changing and we want to be at the forefront of that change . If you only think about winning , winning and winning again , that creates an extremely tense and demanding environment . But if you think more about the opportunities racing can offer you , rather than about the threat of potential defeat , you don ’ t see things in the same way any longer and this can be the trigger that liberates the riders . That ’ s the direction we want to go in . I should stress that this doesn ’ t mean that you don ’ t need to be intelligent or analytical when you ’ re on the bike , quite the opposite . The greatest and most charismatic champions in cycling ’ s history were all smart , but the trick is to find the right balance .”

The Ineos Grenadiers team manager has decided that his empire will strike back with a new attack . Brailsford has put his faith in experience by installing 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas as the team ’ s leader , flanked by 2019 Giro d ’ Italia winner and 2020 Vuelta a España runner-up Richard Carapaz , and 2020 Giro winner Tao Geoghegan Hart .

NOT BEING IN THE POSITION OF DEFENDING CHAMPIONS WILL GIVE US MORE FREEDOM ”

“ We asked ourselves whether it would be better to field all of our best riders at the Tour or to spread our assets in a more intelligent way over the three three-week events on the calendar ,” explains Brailsford . “ We opted to take the second option , which is why Egan Bernal will ride the Giro and Adam Yates will ride the Vuelta . Not being

British rider Tao Geoghegan Hart , who won last year ’ s Giro , will make his Tour debut this year . in the position of defending champions when we line up at the Grand Départ in Brest will present us with a new challenge . It will give us more freedom to plan out a bold strategy that will lead us to ultimate victory .

“ Richard Carapaz will be a very important element of our plan . He ’ s a rider who ’ s never afraid to take responsibility , to try things . As he won ’ t be able to rely on the race ’ s two individual time trials to get himself into a good position in the general classification , he ’ ll have to seize other opportunities , and that ’ s what ’ s so exciting for us .”

Welsh leader

The British team will be built around Geraint Thomas , whose profile as a rouleurclimber should mean that he ’ s well suited to the route of the 2021 Tour . But now 35 , is the rider from Cardiff still strong enough to challenge the young guard embodied by 22-year-old Tadej Pogačar ? “ I certainly wouldn ’ t say that this 2021

Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz wore the polka-dot jersey for two stages on his

Tour debut in 2020 .

edition is the last chance for Geraint Thomas to have a chance of winning a second Tour title ,” says Brailsford . “ In my opinion , once you pass the age of 30 , the key to success is essentially a rider ’ s desire and motivation . If the little flame that ’ s required to make all of the sacrifices needed to achieve that goal is still burning inside him , I don ’ t see why a rider in his thirties can ’ t win the Tour de France .”

In the eyes of the Ineos manager , success is more a question of mental than physical strength . That ’ s why , at the beginning of the season , he took the time to talk to Thomas on several occasions . Brailsford felt that his leader was still very hungry . He felt Thomas was as motivated as a junior , to use an expression from the cycling jargon that he loves so much . In other words , the Ineos Grenadiers are completely convinced that the Welshman is very capable of winning the Tour de France this year ! ●

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