Briefs: Dauphiné team/Antón's schedule/Nieve honoured

• Sammy Sánchez will as anticipated lead Euskaltel's charge at the Dauphiné commencing this weekend. The Asturias native will look to fine-tune his form with an eye, or probably both eyes, on next month's big rendez-vous. At the time being, Verdugo, Urtasun, Txurruka, Martínez, Velasco, Landa and Bilbao are listed as his team-mates. Youngsters Castroviejo and G Izagirre are both on the long-list for the team, though, so they might get the nod instead of Landa and Bilbao, for example, as they're not going to the Tour anyway. Stay tuned for final roster.
• Igor Antón has revealed his schedule, or part of it anyway, leading up to the Vuelta in late August. One-dayers Ordizia, Getxo and San Sebastián are pencilled in, and so too is the Vuelta a Burgos, a race won emphatically by a certain Olympic champ last year.
• Double Grand Tour stage-winner Mikel Nieve yesterday received a hero's welcome in his home-town of Leitza. Hundreds of fans crowded the city centre to show their appreciation for the victor of arguably the hardest and certainly the longest stage in this year's Giro, and the shy 27-year-old looked on as the mayor, the councillor and what not held speeches outside the City Hall. Nieve was awarded a beret (that flat, funny-looking Basque hat you know) and even got to spray his fans, family and friends in champagne. Now that's what I call a celebration! He closed out the happening by saying: "I'm very happy and excited, and I'd love to give you more big wins in the future so that we can have more celebrations like this".