Rafal Majka seemed happy to cede the spotlight to Peter Sagan at Bora-Hansgrohe's pre-Tour de France press conference in Dusseldorf, but at one point, the Pole was asked to discuss his first tilt at the general classification on the Tour.
"I will try my best," Majka said quietly, and Sagan jokingly admonished him for the meekness of his response. "Why don't tell them you are in the best condition ever?" Sagan asked, hamming it up for the microphones.
Majka was more effusive after the main event had finished, chatting amiably with a small group of Polish reporters as a scrum of television cameras swarmed around Sagan, and then speaking to Cyclingnews about his thoughts on the eve of a novel kind of Tour.
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While most podium contenders tackled the Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse to fine tune their preparations for the Tour, Majka opted for the rather less celebrated Tour of Slovenia, but final overall victory there – allied to second overall at the Tour of California – was a firm indication of his condition ahead of La Grande Boucle.
"After the Tour of California, I went to train at altitude. There wasn't enough time to do that and go to the Dauphiné, so I decided to stay at altitude and then go directly to Slovenia and then on to the Polish championships," Majka said. "The important thing for me is to be in good condition for the final ten days of the Tour. I want to get through the first week without crashes or bad luck, and after that, whatever happens, happens."
Altitude racing instead of racing
Majka is lining out for the fourth Tour of his career, and has enjoyed success on each of his previous appearances, winning stages in 2014 and 2015, and claiming the king of the mountains title in 2014 and again last year. He has never, however, had the freedom to target the general classification, compelled as he was to work for his Tinkoff leader Alberto Contador.
Chasing a top five overall
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