Dioni Galparsoro

Dionisio Galparsoro Martinez joined Euskaltel, like Bru and Azanza, from Kaiku. Galparsoro`s transfer raised eyebrows as, in 2003 and 2004, he rode for Euskaltel, before switching to Kaiku.

Galparsoro will no doubt srengthen an already very strong Euskaltel roster for 2007. Though he didn`t get any wins as an Euskaltel rider, he finished an impressive 5th overall in both the Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja and the Vuelta a Castilla y Léon. He also came in third on two stages of that year`s Castilla y Léon stage-race. 2005 brought him his two first and, to date, only wins. Stage 3 in the Hessen Rundfahrt and stage 4 in the Vuelta a Asturias, along with the points competition in the Hessen Rundfahrt, took Dioni back into the spotlight. Hopes were high for the 2006 season, but the season was totally spoiled by numerous injuries. A 13th overall in the Euskal Bizikleta was the highlight of this season, until he signed for Euskaltel in October of course. Next year, he`ll be in good form early on, and will probably ride the Giro d´Italia. Dioni is said to be thrilled with coming back to his beloved team, and will no doubt give his all for the orange-clad men of the Basque Country for the next two years.