Aitor Hernández

• Full name: Aitor Hernández Gutierrez
  
• Date of birth: 24.01.1982
  
• Place of birth: Ermua, Bizkaia
  
• Turned professional: 2004
  
• Joined Euskaltel: 2006
  
• Previous teams: L.P.R - Piacenza Management Srl (2004), L.P.R (2005)
  
• Palmarès: 2nd place: Stage 4a in Euskal Bizikleta 2005, 3rd place: Stage 5 in Euskal Bizikleta 2005

Euskaltel and Iban ready for the Challenge Mallorca

The Challenge Mallorca, that will be held from the 11th to the 15th of February, will see 14 Euskaltel riders in action. The Vuelta a Mallorca, consisting of five one-day races, will see an Euskaltel line-up consisting of these 14 riders: Unai Etxebarria, Beñat Albizuri, Andoni Aranaga, Jorge Azanza, Koldo Fernández De Larrea, Aitor Hernández, Iban Iriondo, Antton Luengo, Iban Mayoz, Aketza Peña, Alan Pérez, Unai Uribarri, Joseba Zubeldia y Markel Irizar. As this isn`t formally a stage-race, every team participating can change line-ups from day to day, though riders hoping for an unofficial overall win, must compete in all five. According to Euskaltel director Jon Odriozola, who will lead the team for the first time on Sunday, Antton Luengo, Jorge Azanza and Andoni Aranaga are the main hopes for Euskaltel, as these are the most prepared and in-form riders.


Another team making its season debut on Sunday, is Euskaltel feeder-team Orbea. Orbea will send the whole team, with the main hopes being Juanjo Oroz and Xabat Otxotorena.


Iban will also kick-start his season on Sunday, and is believed to ride all five races. Iban will be in a strong-looking Saunier Duval team, consisting of himself, David Millar, Raúl Alarcón, Rubens Bertogliati, Iker Camaño, Juanjo Cobo, David de la Fuente, Jesús del Nero, Arkaitz Durán, Alberto Fernández, "Litu" Gómez, Gibo Simoni, Fran Ventoso, Remmert Wielinga, and Carlos Zárate. The last three stages should be suited to Iban`s qualities, with mountains and cols coming thick and fast.

Antton Luengo - A future Euskaltel star

Nowadays, everyone tauts Igor Antón as the next big thing in Spain and Euskaltel. And rightly so, he deserves it. He was amazing last year, and Euskaltel might have a new climbing star on their hands. He`s got big, I mean really big, potential. Though, I think there is one rider often overlooked when cycling fans discusses the future of Spanish cycling and who to look to for mountain-top wins. Antton Luengo Celaya is his name, and here`s why he`s the one.

The now 26-year-old climber had, in my opinion, a great 2006 season. Though he ain`t got any very impressive results to showcase it, he rode brilliantly in the mountains on some occasions last year. With stars like Iban and Haimar on the team, Antton was forced to ride a support-role many times last year; though he did it amazingly. A 6th place in the mountainious one-day race Subida Urkiola last year, after riding support for Igor Antón and Iban, speaks volumes of this man`s potential. A brilliant 9th place on a mountainious stage of the Deutchland Tour, without any supporting team-mates, was also impressive stuff from the youngster. A 14th place overall in the Ruta del Sol also confirmed his qualities when the road steepens and the going gets tough. Though a victory might elude him this year as well, I`m sure he`ll play an important role for the team nonetheless. Antton might be the one, along with Haimar, Samu and Igor, who proves the most valuable this year. I`m telling you, look out for this one. He might be a new climbing great from Euskaltel....

Markel Irizar

• Full name: Markel Irizar Aranburu
• Date of birth: 05.02.1980
• Place of birth: Oñati, Gipuzkoa
• Turned professional: 2004
• Joined Euskaltel: 2004
• Previous teams: none
• Palmarès: 2nd: prologue of the Paris-Nice 2008

Euskaltel to help Álava

In the press conference held by the Fundación Ciclista Euskadi today in Bilbao, the Fundación revealed its plans to help Basque region Álava return from a cycling crisis. It was revealed that Euskaltel might start an under 23-team, a team consisting of riders from Álava. The foundation will try to help out the region economically, and will try to organise a children`s criterium race in the summer. Hopefully, the Vuelta Ciclista a Araba Sub-23 race, a race that hasn`t been held for two years due to economic problems, will be started again as of the season 2008. Though, all this is just plans, nothing is done or decided yet.

Mikel Astarloza

• Full name: Mikel Astarloza Chaurrau
• Date of birth: 17.11.1979
• Place of birth: Pasajes de San Pedro, Gipuzkoa
• Turned professional: 2002
• Joined Euskaltel: 2007
• Previous teams: Ag2r Prévoyance
• Palmarès: 1st place: overall Tour Down Under 2003, Stage 16 of the Tour de France 2009. 2nd place: The Young Riders' Competition in Tour de France 2003, Stage 4 in Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana 2004, Stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucía 2008. 3rd place: The Spanish Championship - individual time trial 2003, Stage 6 in Dauphiné Libére 2003, Spanish Road Race Championship, stage 8 of the Tour de France 2009. 9th place: overall Tour de France 2007.

Alan Pérez

• Full name: Alan Pérez Lezaun
  
• Date of birth: 15.07.1982
  
• Place of birth: Zurucuain, Navarra
  
• Turned professional: 2006
  
• Joined Euskaltel: August 2006
  
• Previous teams: Orbea
  
• Palmarès: 2nd place: Stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia 2008.

Rubén Pérez

• Full name: Rubén Pérez Moreno
• Date of birth: 30.01.1981
• Place of birth: Zaldibar, Bizkaia
• Turned professional: 2005
• Joined Euskaltel: August 2005
• Previous teams: Orbea
• Palmarès: 1st: Stage 1 Bayern Rundfahrt 2010. 2nd: Stage 3 Vuelta a la Rioja 2005, stage 2 Vuelta a Murcia 2009, stage 5 ENECO Tour 2010, stage 5 Tour de Suisse 2012, stage 15 Vuelta a España 2012. 3rd: Stage 1 Vuelta a Murcia 2009, stage 5 Volta a Catalunya 2011, stage 5 Vuelta a Castilla y León 2011.

Antton Luengo

• Full name: Antton Luengo Celaya
• Date of birth: 17.01.1981
• Place of birth: Gautegiz-Arteaga, BizkaiaTurned professional: 2004
• Joined Euskaltel: 2004
• Previous teams: none
• Palmarès: 2nd; 1st stage Vuelta a Andalucia 2007

Joseba Zubeldia

• Full name: Joseba Zubeldia Agirre
• Date of birth: 19.03.1979
• Place of birth: Usurbil, Gipuzkoa
• Turned professional: 2001
• Joined Euskaltel: 2001
• Previous teams: none
• Palmarès: 3rd place: Stage 4 in Etoile des Bessèges 2004, 3rd place: overall Etoile de Bessèges 2004.

Iban Iriondo

• Full name: Iban Iriondo Uranga
• Date of birth: 01.05.1984
• Place of birth: Zumaia, Gipuzkoa
• Turned professional: 2006
• Joined Euskaltel: 2006
• Previous teams: Orbea
• Palmarès: 1st place: Campeonato de Gipuzkoa sub23 2005

Euskaltel look to Álava

According to http://www.fundacioneuskadi.com/, the Fundación Ciclista Euskadi will hold a press conference at noon tomorrow, in the Hotel Lakua de Vitoria Gasteiz. Here, the foundation will reveal the present state of cycling the region Álava is in. The Fundación will also reveal the project designed for this Basque region. Present at the press conference will be Miguel Madariaga, the president of the Fundación, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, technical director of Euskaltel, Alvaro Gonzalez de Galdeano, team Orbea director, and Miguel Ángel Martín, president of the Álava cycling federation.

Beñat Albizuri

• Full name: Beñat Albizuri Aransoro
• Date of birth: 17.05.1981
• Place of birth: Berriz, Bizkaia
• Turned professional: 2005
• Joined Euskaltel: August 2005
• Previous teams: Orbea
• Palmarès: 2nd place: Stage 3 Vuelta a la Rioja 2005

Rider factfiles

I will start to make profiles of every Euskaltel rider. These profiles will include a picture of the rider, full name, date and place of birth, previous teams, when he turned pro, when he joined Euskaltel and a small list of palmarès. This will take some time, so I`ll post them gradually. There will also be a "Rider profiles" section on the right-hand menu, something that will make them accessible all the time.