"It's a special day, unique, with so many people here in San Mames, it's a day to enjoy it", said the Spanish rider, watching hundreds of fans in the vicinity of the Athletic Bilbao stadium, enjoying the moments before the start of the 2023 Tour.
And enjoyment is precisely what he advises anyone starting out in the sport. It has taken him a long time to get there, but he has also done it by having fun. "This is a dream that every child who rides a bike has. And I always give my advice to all those who strive to be professionals: enjoy what you do, day by day, and if you enjoy it, the results will come".
It remains to be seen whether he will have time to have a great time in this first stage, which is short and busy, with medium mountains, with passes that could be nerve-wracking for some of the favourites, and with many home riders, up to seven Basque riders, trying to shine in front of their home crowd.
That is why Juanpe Lopez considers that "it is not an easy stage, it will be for those in the general classification or for a fast rider who can save the day on the pass, but it is not easy."
Of course, if he has a chance, he will also try to attack and, who knows, to be the leader again as he did in the Giro with the maglia rosa.
"My objective? To try to see if a stage goes well, which it will, to have the chance on the day and to fight for it," he told Flashscore before focusing on the start of the Tour, the race he has always dreamed of riding.
