Gerrikagoitia "proud" of Tour team

Despite coming away from the Tour empty-handed as far as stage-wins and jerseys are concerned, Euskaltel DS Gorka Gerrikagoitia, himself a veteran of four Vueltas but no Tour, was happy with what his riders achieved in a Grand Boucle plagued by crashes and bad luck.

"We arrived in Liège with clear objectives, but when four riders, including our captain, crashed out, everything changed", he told the team's own website. "In Samuel we had a solid leader to fight for the podium and a stage victory. An ambitious challenge we had to alter after Samu's abandonment.

"The five cyclists who made it to Paris responded to the adversity and completed a noteworthy Tour. We fought every day, we were brave and we took risks. We got into many breaks and played our cards to get a win. I'm very proud of the whole team for their effort, attitude and commitment. What's more, Egoi Martínez finished a prominent 17th overall. Therefore we'll head home happy with our work".