"There's definitely a lot of focus on getting better," is how Jayco-AIUIa's Chris Harper describes his 2024 season to date. The longstanding Aussie team worker has already taken runner-up spots in both National Championships, 12th in Paris-Nice and is now running fifth overall in the Volta a Catalunya.
After finishing sixth and eighth on the two toughest high mountain stages in the Volta a Catalunya, Harper pounded across on the Port Ainé climb to Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) - themselves in the process of tracking race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) - a move that initially raised hopes his for a top three stage finish.
It was not to be, but Harper is turning in one of his strongest week-long race performances to date, and even if he does not know any of the climbs on Saturday's demanding run through the mountains of central Catalunya, the 29-year-old is determined to give it everything he's got.
"I was feeling pretty good throughout the stage, and thought it was a good opportunity to get across to Sepp and Landa," Harper told Cyclingnews at the stage 5 start on Friday.
"So it was still worth having a crack, I think and there are still some hard days left in this race. Lots can still happen."
He is cautious about the idea of calling this a "breakthrough year" but recognises that he has taken an important step in the right direction this season.
"I don't know if you could call it that, but there's definitely a lot of focus on getting better. Obviously, I've got Simon Yates in the team and he's one of the best riders in the world so the goal is still to go to races with him and support him. But if that also means I can put myself in a position to do well, then that's a goal, too."
Harper is fulsome in his praise of Yates as both team leader and teammate, saying that he's invaluable both steering him on how to handle GC battles in general and races like the Volta in particular.
"It's always nice racing with Simon because he's got so much experience racing here and in so many races throughout the calendar, he is always happy to give advice and explain how he'd do things, which is super helpful. And that'll be helpful in the weekend as well."
Harper says he has no idea how Saturday will play out. His confidence has been boosted from how he raced in the Pyrenees so far, but he's well aware that this will be a voyage in the dark in several ways, including defending a top-five place on GC in a WorldTour race for the time since he placed fourth overall in the UAE Tour in 2021.
"I haven't done any of the climbs, so I'm going in a bit blind, but I've heard from guys who have done them that it's going to be brutal, a really hard stage," he reflects. "It should make for an exciting race so - fingers crossed and let's see how I go."
