News shorts

• Caja Rural were once again unbeatable in yesterday's Torneo Lehendakari-race in Lemoiz. Polish all-rounder Karol Domagalski proved to be the strongest on the 109km parcours as he beat his three late-race breakaway companions, González from Cueva El Soplao, team-mate Moyano and Naturgas' Barbero, by three seconds. Though fourth in a race like this is not to be sniffed at, I imagine the fast-finishing Barbero will be slightly disappointed to finish just off the podium. The remaining 131 riders taking part were all, quite extraordinarily, given the same finishing time as the race's timing device somehow stopped, well, timing. Through points accumulated yesterday, Domagalski now heads up the overall series ranking.
• Igor Antón lists previous two-time winner Denis Menchov as the main favourite for the upcoming Vuelta a España. Speaking to the assembled media after doing some team time trial work with his team-mates in Vitoria yesterday, Antón, himself a red-hot favourite for the win, said Menchov is his "number one rival". "He's got the experience and arrives with a team eager to race", he said. Other overall contenders include Brajkovic, Van den Broeck, Purito, Scarponi and Nibali to name but a few. While Antón says the latter's state of form is a "mystery", he's convinced all his rivals will be "hard to beat".
• Though the transfer season is well and truly underway, Euskaltel head Igor González de Galdeano is remaining tight-lipped on who'll come and go at the end of the season. At the moment 15 riders have contracts in place for 2012: Antón, Astarloza, Bilbao, Cazaux, Izagirre x 2, Landa, Martínez, Nieve, Oroz, R Pérez, Sánchez, Sicard, Txurruka and Verdugo. As Euskaltel's roster is comprised of 25 riders, that leaves 10 riders without a contract for next season: Aramendía, Azanza, Castroviejo, Fernández, Isasi, Mínguez, A Pérez, Sesma, Urtasun and Velasco. Fernández and Castroviejo will both, in all likelihood, leave, but the majority of the riders listed above are likely to receive new offers from the team. Speaking to BiciCiclismo, de Galdeano says it's likely many of them will stay on for at least another year as he's "very pleased with the current roster", but stresses that "nothing's decided yet". "No decision has been made on the comings and goings and we're not closing any doors on anyone. We'll wait a little longer, but obviously those riders (without a contract for next year) can look for other teams. That's how professional sports work. If we'll sign anyone though, they'll come from Orbea." Several Orbea riders are heavily rumoured to join Euskaltel in 2012, among them Aberasturi, García and Cabedo, but with only a maximum of 25 spots on team it'll be hard to make the jump this year. Speaking of the latter two, de Galdeano remained coy but admitted it's possible they'll switch the blue of Orbea for the orange of Euskaltel. No signings are likely to be made before the end of the Vuelta though as he'll give all his riders the chance to impress and earn a new contract before the close of the season.