Euskaltel confirm Bru signing

Fundacion Ciclista Euskadi today confirmed the signing of Yon Bru Pascal on it`s website www.fundacioneuskadi.com. As earlier announced on this page, he joins Euskaltel from the defunct Pro Conti team Kaiku. Yon Bru said that he was very excited about this move, and that riding for his "home"-team will give him an extra motivation to work hard and train. He further said that he was very excited about the possibility of riding Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Fleche Wallonne, races that are very suited to his qualities. Welcome Yon!

Euskaltel head to the US

As reported on www.fundacioneuskadi.com today, Haimar Zubeldia, Samu Sanchez and Igor Antón will head over the Atlantic Sea to improve their aerodynamics and TTing in the famous wind-tunnel in San Diego. Under the guidance of Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, who was a very good TTer himself, they will leave Euskadi on the last day of November, and will run several tests in California for a few days. I think this is a brilliant initiative from Euskaltel. More and more riders are using wind-tunnels to improve their TTing skills, and it certainly helps. There is no reason why the Euskaltel leaders shouldn`t try them out as well, as Euskaltel and TTing hasn`t always been the best combination. If Haimar rediscovers his 2003 TTing, he might, just might, get a podium place in a GT one year. Samu and Igor are not bad at all either, as they`ve both shown this year, but there`s room for improvement.

Positives and negatives 2006

Positives:

• has shown glimpses of his former self
• started to win races again
• back to top-form on occasions
• won first stage-race since Dauphiné 2004
• sorted out his future
• good classic-campaign
• insulted the camera-man in the Tour
• new start to his career
• improved TTing
  

Negatives:

• failed in the Tour
• bad Vuelta
• very unconsistent
• left Euskaltel
• not friends with Madariaga anymore (it seems)
• will no longer be "the orange hope"
• troubled by illness

Samu Sanchez wins again

Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez of Euskaltel added another victory to his palmarès yesterday. Sanchez won the Criterium de la Asociación de Ciclistas Profesional Españoles in Boadilla del Monte, ahead of strong-men Pereiro Sio and Gomez Marchante. Euskaltel-Euskadi won the TTT, where Samu had team-mates Haimar Zubeldia, Igor Anton, Iñigo Landaluze, Koldo Fernandez and David Herrero alongside him, in the race, which helped set up Samu for the overall win later in the day.

Jon Bru joins Euskaltel

Jon Bru Pascal has opted to join Euskaltel-Euskadi prior to the 2007 season. The very talented 29-year-old comes from the now defunct Kaiku team. Last year, Bru took his first two wins in the professional ranks, namely the second and fourth stage in the Volta ao Distrito de Santarém. Though, his most notable result came in the 2005 edition of the Clasica Donostia/San Sebastian, where he ended up a brilliant 5th. At Euskaltel he`ll join up with former Kaiku`s Jorge Azanza, Andoni Aranaga and Dioni Galparsoro. Bru has always been regarded as a very talented rider, and perhaps he`ll exploit his full potential with "home"-team Euskaltel.

Iban happy with Tour route

In a small interview with Spanish newspaper Gara, Iban said he was quite happy with next year`s Tour de France showpiece route. "It reminds me of the 2003 edition, where I finished 6th and won the l`Alpe d`Huez stage", he said. "The mountains come early, the first TT comes after the Alps and there`s no TTT." Iban pointed to the Colombière on the first mountain stage to be decisive, along with the Pyreneean tops Col d`Aubisque and the Plateau de Beille. He expects the overall to be sorted out somewhat before the first TT, but says that the Pyrenees will decide the eventual winner.

Tour 2007: One for Iban?

Prior to today`s unveiling of the Tour de France parcours 2007, I prayed for a mountainious route. My prayers were partly answered. With 6 mountain stages on the menu, it could have been a lot worse, but also a lot better. The chances for Iban shining like in 2003 are definetely there, but he won`t go for the overall I`m afraid, as next year`s route looks very similar to the one this year. Two long TTs, both over 50 km, will probably be decisive for the final outcome. And even though Iban has improved remarkably in this descipline, he`s still bound to lose some minutes to the specialists.

With three summit finishes, Iban`s chances of winning a stage seems rather big if he finds the form. Especially the queen-stage to the Col d`Aubisque seems tailor made for Iban. Four big mountains to climb, with the Aubisque ending in the Pyreenes, should be an objective for Iban come July. In the Pyrenees he`s bound to be cheered on by thousands and thousands of crazy Basques, cheering on their biggest hero. A win there would be absolutely amazing. Picture your self Iban winning the queen-stage in the Tour surrounded by orange-clad Basques shouting his name. Then, once again, Iban would be on top of the world. That would be a dream come true. Aupa Iban!

Iban`s season in pictures

On the attack in a disappointing Vuelta a España

Shining in San Sebastian

Winning the Vuelta a Burgos

Parting ways with Euskaltel

Pulling out of the Tour

Winning in the Dauphiné

Winning the Subida Urkiola

Another year for Laiseka?

It`s looking increasingly likely that the immensely popular and talented climber Roberto Laiseka will return to the peloton the next season. The 37-year-old from Viscaya crashed in the middle of the Giro d`Italia back in May, something which left him with a shattered knee. Laiseka has been sidelined ever since, and since he was already then 37-years-old, many expected him to put an end to a brilliant career, a career that includes stage victories in the Tour and the Vuelta. But it doesn`t look like that will happen, as signals coming out from the rider himself and Euskaltel is that he will be a part of Euskaltel team anno 2007. Laiseka recently had an operation on his knee, and the doctors expect him to be able to train as normal in the next ten days. Roberto Laiseka is a man capable of winning any mountain-stage on his day, and there`s no doubt that he`ll strengthen the team considerably if he stays.

Euskaltel palmarès 2006

When Euskaltel-Euskadi look back on the 2006 season, they can look back on a fairly good season in general. Euskaltel riders have stood on the top step of the podium 13 times. 6 of those victories came in the Pro Tour, while the remaining 7 came on the Continental level. Further, Euskaltel have amassed 12 second places, 8 in the Pro Tour and 4 in the Continental division, and 11 third places, 5 in the Pro Tour and 6 on Continental level. The rider with the most wins is Samu Sanchez, with Iban in a close second with 4.

Paco Javier Aramendia joins Euskaltel

19-year-old promising Basque Fransisco Javier Aramendia has agreed to join Euskaltel. The rider from Caja Rural has agreed to ride for Orbea for the coming year, before joining Euskaltel and the Pro Tour in 2008. He`s tied with Euskaltel-Euskadi from 2008 until 2009. Aramendia is widely regarded as one of the Basque Country`s most gifted riders, and Euskaltel have been monitoring his progress for some time now.

Iban and the classics

Iban on the podium in Liège in 2003

When Iban was becoming one of the world`s leading cyclists in the year of 2003, he noted himself not only as a brilliant climber, but also as a very good and promising classics rider. His good 16th place in Fleche was followed up by an amazing second in Liège, and a new classic star was born, many thought. Though, this didn`t materialise. Why not?

In the years of 2003 and 2004, Iban was at his very best. Not only did he win mountain stages, he won on hilly terrain and even won when breaking free from the peloton on a sprinter`s course 2 km. from the finish. He was considered an all-rounder, if you look away from the TTs. His spring campaign in the classics was extraordinary. Second in Liège was noteworthy indeed, as he came close to be the first Spanish winner of the prestigious race. But, after the infamous 2003 Tour, Iban`s goals and objectives changed dramatically, at least that what it looks like. No more classics, just stage-races and the Tour. Don`t think that was the wisest decision he`s ever taken. After a dismall last half of 2004, and a bad, to say the least, 2005 season, Iban returned to the spring classics this season. Though he didn`t intend to peak for them, he was in good condition, and showed what he is worth in hilly classics with an 18th. and 23rd. place in Fleche and Liège respectively. He then rode the Clasica San Sebastian-San Sebastian, where he had a brilliant ride, and probably was the strongest in the bunch. He didn`t record any result of note though, as he was reeled in with 5 km. to go. But nevertheless, Iban`s classic campaign 2006 has been a success.

Next year, I hope that Iban will ride the classics with Saunier as a captain. He`s got all the necessary qualities to win either one of the three Ardennes classics, and I sincerely hope he will exploit that potential.

More wallpapers

I`ve added some more wallpapers, which you can download under the "various" section to the right. I use Iban wallpapers as background all the time, it always makes me cheer up seeing Iban celebrating a win every time I turn on my computer.

Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano

As I mentioned breifly in my previous post, Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano Aranzabal (left) is the new sporting director at Pro Conti team Orbea. Yes, he is Igor`s brother, and was a very good rider himself once. After the 2004 season, he put an end to his career as a rider. His most memorable season was 2000, when he became national champion on the road, and one a stage apiece in the Vuelta and the Giro. He rode four years for Euskaltel, and his appointment as Euskaltel`s feeder-club director, might be a signal that Alvaro may join the Euskaltel bord in a few years or so. He was a talented rider, and certainly seems to know what he`s doing in management, so this will probably be profitable for both Orbea and Euskaltel. Seeing Alvaro leading Euskaltel in a few years ,together with his brother Igor, would be awesome I think.