Let's face it, there hasn't been much news about Tao Geoghegan Hart until now. Not much was known about the Englishman, neither about his schedule nor his form. But to our rescue was Josu LarrazabalThe Spanish coach, in charge of the performance of the Lidl Trek, with his usual kindness, he clarified a lot of things for us about the former pink jersey.
What we can say is that in Portugal they started the season not only vingegaard e Roglic, which we told you about, but also Tao Geoghegan Hart. And like his illustrious colleagues, he did well overall. He finished ninth overall, 54 seconds behind Vingegaard himself and just a second behind Roglic.
Josu, Tao started the season in the Algarve. How did you see it?
It went very well, we expected a little more time in the time trial given how we saw him, how he felt and how he was doing in training. The first uphill finish in Foia confirmed our expectations, but on the final climb, his enthusiasm for doing well paid a bit. He over-exerted the effort and ultimately gave up a bit, but a top-10 finish is a good start considering where we're coming from.
“Where we come from”: how important was it for him to have completed the Return last year?
He integrated and understood how difficult the recovery process he was in was. Last year, in the Algarve, he finished fifteenth and thought he was already further ahead. Then At Tirreno he understood that there was still a lot of work to do. We had to redo the program, skip Catalunya, and use the Basque Country to prepare for Romandie, where he made a top 10 and had recovered a bit.
And then the fall again at Dauphiné…
Yes, with broken ribs, missing the Tour, another crash in Burgos, and finally starting the Vuelta with physical problems. But finishing it was essential for him and for this season. Even if he didn't finish as a protagonist. And for a rider of his level, tackling a major Giro without making an impact is difficult to accept, but he understood the importance of the process that the Vuelta represented. Last year his winter was one of rehabilitation, this year it was a winter of cycling and the difference is enormous.
Your role isn't just about numbers and tables. How important is the mental aspect with Tao?
Absolutely a lot. We had some discussions with him last year. We tried to make him understand that it would take time, but he wanted results right away. We obviously want him to achieve results, but we also know that recovery takes time. Tao didn't always agree with this message, but time has proven us right... unfortunately. It would have been nice if he could have achieved great results right away, but injuries like his require patience. We're in a completely different situation now, both physically and mentally. And when a rider like him is healthy, the results come, even if they aren't always (and not immediately) victories.
If you had to give a percentage, how much better are you than last year?
We can say that he has already matched the best figures of last year, just after he left: numbers that he had reached last year in Romandie and before the fall in Dauphiné. This is a benchmark that gives us confidence. I don't have the exact data to say whether it's a 5 or 10 percent improvement compared to 12 months ago, but having already reached those peaks in February was very, very important.
What's his plan for the next few months? Will we see him at the Giro d'Italia or the Tour?
Tao's goal is il Tour de France, with a similar program to last year'sYesterday he raced the Ardeche Classic (he withdrew due to a mechanical problem as the race was heating up and finished watching the race from the bus, ed.), a change from 2023 when he was preparing for the Tirreno. This year he will not be competing in the Race of the Two Seas, but in Catalunya and subsequently in Romandie.We talked to him about leaving a door open for the Tour of the Alps, a race he enjoys and has already won, but for now it's just an option. After the Romandie stage, he'll take a break, head to the mountains, and then follow the classic route with the Dauphiné, another stint at altitude, and finally the Tour.
Have you ever thought about sending him to the Giro? The route seemed suited to his characteristics.
Tao loves the Tour of Italy and he always looks at him out of the corner of his eye. Obviously, it's a conversation you can always have with him, but lLidl-Trek gave him the opportunity to take the step he hadn't been able to do at Ineos Grenadiers, that is, prepare for the Tour as a leader.This is the original plan, and for now, it's what we're focused on. He has a strong connection with the Giro, but I'd say with Italy in general. He's won many races here and has a great connection with the Italian fans, but right now the focus is on the Tour.
Josu, since we talked about mental aspects earlier, how do you see him in terms of determination? Does he want to come back stronger than before now that he's healthy?
I've always seen him as mean. He was even that way last year when things weren't going well. And that's exactly where the arguments arose... But now he's even more so, because he didn't enjoy having a difficult year without any wins. He doesn't like not having been a protagonist. Even the small mistake he made in the Algarve time trial is perhaps a consequence of this desire to succeed, to prove himself. We're here to support him and make him understand that everything comes, you just have to wait for the right moment.
