Leblanc hails Euskaltel

Ten years to the day of Euskaltel's first foray into the Tour de France, erstwhile race director and former rider Jean-Marie Leblanc has paid homage to the team in today's DEIA. Speaking to Alain Laiseka (rather fittingly given his brother Roberto was the first Euskaltel rider to win a stage at the event back in 2001), the Frenchman claimed Euskaltel "never disappointed" with their performances, though he admits he had doubts until Laiseka won that famed stage to the Luz d'Ardiden. "They didn't do too well in the first few stages, rather the opposite", he said frankly. "They struggled, but when they Pyrenees came around they rallied and Roberto Laiseka stepped up." Leblanc lists that now-legendary win as Euskaltel's finest moment in his race: "It was their first year, and the Pyrenees suddenly turned all orange. Roberto came through the marea naranja (to take the win), and it was fitting as he was the typical Basque rider. He meant so much to that team. In all my years at the helm I can hardly remember a stage win more exciting and symbolic than that one. Throughout the years the team have always animated the race, especially so in the mountains." There have been disappointments though, and none more so than a certain Ibán Mayo's failure of 2004. "The biggest disappointment was Mayo in 2004 when he came to win the race", Leblanc recounted. "That was a major disappointment".