Now aged 26, Pello Bilbao, who hails from the Basque village of Gernika and prefers his name written with two 'l's, returns for his third Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey fresh from finishing second to Alejandro Valverde in the Tour of Castilla y León. "I think we have to start with the goal of a good GC, because we have a strong team with plenty of riders who can work well, especially in the hard stages."

The new race format, with the Istanbul start and the backloading of uphill finishes in stages 6 and 8, means that the race has a new character compared to past editions when the mountains were encountered mid-race, in stages 3 and 6. 

"When the decisive stages are early on, they calm the nerves. The first uphill finish puts us in our place, and we have to rethink our goals: it could be stage wins, or GC, or helping a team-mate. This year, the selection only comes at the end, so everyone will still be in the fight until late on. That means we will all feel that daily tension. Anyone aiming for GC will have to stay alert from day one, so that they aren't caught out by a moment of inattention or a section of crosswinds."

A year ago, Bilbao finished the Vuelta a Castilla y León in 4th place - two spots behind fellow Gernikan Beñat Intzausti - before coming to the TUR and winning the mountain stage to Selçuk, just above Ephesus, one of the most important archeological sites in Anatolia and the world.

"I knew Istanbul, but not Ephesus, I'd only heard about it. Of course, during the race, I wasn't aware of it, but after, down in the hotel, I became aware of its historical value. Before I ever rode in Turkey, I went there on holiday. I've always liked Turkish culture. As for the race, there's no time trial, the roads are good for rouleurs, and the two stages with uphll finishes aren't ideal for the pure climbers. I look forward to it every year."

The stage win came in only his second TUR. "2014 was my first year with the team. Luis León [Sánchez] was our leader, and the rest of us were playing a supporting role. But the race seemed to me one where a rider of my characteristics could do well."

2015 was to be the year of his assault on the GC, but his GC hopes disappeared in the puff of air that signalled a puncture 55km from the finish of the first mountain stage at Elmali.
 

"There was a long climb early on to get up to the plateau at about 1200m above sea level. Just before the top, we entered an open section where echelons formed in the wind. As luck would have it, in the worst possible moment, I had a puncture. A couple of team-mates stayed with me but we couldn't close the gap, and my hopes of a good result overall evaporated. So I shifted my sights to the next stage where I could do well, which was the stage to Ephesus. I marked the page in red, and I made sure I took my revenge up there."

The stage win came after Bilbao bridged to the lone attacker, Miguel Ángel "Superman" López (AST).

"We counterattacked as a team and thinned out the group until I saw the right moment and set off after Miguel Ángel. I caught him close to the finish line. He had been on the attack for some time, so I was fresher, and I took advantage of the situation in the final sprint."

15th overall in 2014, and 8th last year, despite losting 2'34" on Stage 3 after that inopportune puncture, Pello Bilbao travels to Turkey this week with the talent, experience and ambition to make the 2016 TUR his own.