Samu unaware of revised Amstel route

Quite sensationally for a pre-race favourite, it appears Samuel Sánchez is not aware of the changes made to this year's Amstel Gold Race parcours. The organizers have this year decided to cut two kilometres between the penultimate climb (the Keutenberg) and the final climb (the Cauberg) in order to encourage more aggressive racing. The change should suit a rider like Samu to a tee, but the man himself was surprised when quizzed about the route a day prior to the race.

"What, Amstel? Tomorrow? The finish is different?", he uttered to Cyclingnews on Saturday.

When informed about the change, he naturally seemed content though.

"Ah, that's much better. That'll make it harder for riders to catch back on after the Keutenberg".

Samu has been touted as one of the main favourites by rivals and pundits alike leading up to the Dutch race, but the Euskaltel captain was keen to downplay expectations.

"Joaquin Rodríguez showed in the Vuelta al País Vasco that he's got more power on the climbs. There's also the likes of Valverde, Sagan, Nibali and Evans to contend with. I'm not the favourite."

The 34-year-old was originally not slated for the hilly classics this year, but decided at the last minute to do Amstel. First of all, it's good training for the World Champs as this year's event will run over much the same terrain. Secondly, he's on strong form. Thirdly, Euskaltel need the WorldTour-points. Despite that, he'll head for home after Amstel and pass the torch to Igor Antón for Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

"I'll only do Amstel - then I'll travel home and relax. Perhaps I'll come back for Liège if my legs are up for it. If not, I'll start my holiday. I'll return in time for the Dauphiné and the Tour de France. Then the Olympics are up".

Samu will wear dossard number 31 tomorrow. Check out the full start list here.

Urtasun grabs third in Castilla y León

Pablo Urtasun snatched Euskaltel an excellent third place in today's second stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León. The 34-year-old formed part of a late-race break, also including team-mate Iván Velasco, on the hilly 158,7km stage to Ávila, but was beaten to the win by compatriot Luis León Sánchez and Guillaume Levarlet.

Watch a short resume of the stage here.

The stage started off with a dangerous seven-man break going clear after 30 kilometres. In it was Euskaltel's main man, Mikel Landa, a certain Andreas Klöden, David Arroyo, Rein Taaramäe and Brice Feillu to name but a few. A few others, including Amets Txurruka, bridged up later, but it wasn't to be. A new group, this time counting 12 riders, formed at the head of the race with some 30 clicks to go. Among them were Euskaltel duo Velasco and Urtasun, but also a host of other strong names. Luisle Sánchez proved too strong with a trademark move inside the last kilometre, while Urtasun was just pipped to second by Frenchman Levarlet two seconds down. Velasco secured his best result in a while with ninth, 12 seconds down on the classy Rabobank allrounder. The main peloton, containing most of the big names, finished up a big 9:38 back, meaning the race will by all accounts be played out between the forerunners on today's stage.

Heading into tomorrow's final and quite mountainous stage, both Urtasun and Velasco are well placed to grab top general classification placings. When quizzed about his chances of landing what would be one of his most impressive GC results, Urtasun was quite optimistic.

"Let's see how it goes tomorrow - Rabobank will probably control the race for Sánchez. The Navacerrada (the last climb) tops out at some 50 kilometres from the line, so the goal will be to reach the line as close as possible to him. It'll be important to stay calm, position myself well, eat and drink enough and get enough protection. If I'm in the front group approaching Segovia (the finishing town), then of course I'll aim for the win", he told the team's website.

Stage results (Orbea riders in cursive):

• (1, Luis León Sánchez, Rabobank)
• 3, Pablo Urtasun, 0:02
• 9, Iván Velasco, 0:12
• 34, Miguel Mínguez, 9:38
• 38, Carlos Barbero, s.t.
• 43, Amets Txurruka, s.t.
• 46, Aritz Bagües, s.t.
• 49, Illart Zuazubiskar, s.t.
• 61, Pierre Cazaux, s.t.
• 65, Mikel Nieve, s.t.
• 72, Mikel Landa, 10:00
• 87, Aritz Etxebarria, 13:37
• 90, Jon Aberasturi, s.t.
• 100, Mikel Bizkarra, 14:09
• 106, Alan Pérez, 23:52
• 115, Xabier Zabalo, 26:02
• 122, Igor Merino, 26:07

Complete results here.

Landa: "Of course we're nervous"

Rising star Mikel Landa is as we speak competing in the Vuelta a Castilla y León, off the back of an impressive second place in the GP Miguel Induráin. While the season so far has been okay according to the man himself, he admits the uncertainty surrounding the team's future is playing on his mind.

"Of course we're nervou", the 22-year-old told Marca. "It's not easy to ride with the anxiety of not knowing where you'll be next year. But it looks like it'll be sorted out soon - we'll get an answer in a month or two."

Landa has risen through the entire Fundación Euskadi set-up: from Naturgas to Orbea to Euskaltel. Of the current batch of Orbea riders at the team, one in particular stands out to him.

"Perhaps Peio Bilbao will be the first one to really step it up. He joined Euskaltel in the middle of last season. He's made an impression."

The native of Murgia will center his season around the last Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta a España. Before that, he's got a fair share of big races coming up though.

"Now it's Castilla y León, then it's on to the Tour de Romandie, the Dauphiné and the Vuelta. My DSs think I can be near the top in Castilla y León, but I'll take it as it comes. They want me to keep progressing. I'm still very young."

Uneventful opener to Castilla y León

Euskaltel and Orbea both made muted starts to the Vuelta a Castilla y León earlier on Friday.

The 159km stage starting and ending in Salamanca was always destined for a bunch sprint, and so it turned out after the day's four-man break was caught inside the last three clicks. Neither the orange nor the blue team managed to get one of their riders in contention though, with Jon Aberasturi being Orbea's top man in 10th and Pablo Urtasun not far behind in 14th. On a positive note though, none of the riders (that includes both teams), except for Alán Pérez, lost any time, so it's still all to play for for the remaining couple of stages. Pérez, still easing his way back into competition after a an injury-enforced delayed start to the season, ceded 4:43.

Manuel Cardoso sprinted to a popular win for Caja Rural - check out the video here. Source: www.biciciclismo.com

Samu a go for Amstel

Samuel Sánchez will lead a versatile Euskaltel team in Sunday's Amstel Gold Race. Igor Antón will not be present, but it is expected the number three-ranked rider in the world will hand over leadership duties to the Galdakao-native for Fleche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Lining up in the first of the three hilly classics will be super domestiques Egoi Martínez and Jorge Azanza, allrounders Rubén Pérez and Gorka Izagirre and youngsters Ricardo García, Peio Bilbao and Romain Sicard.

Click here for full list of participants.

Click here for route profile.

"I don't know if I'll return to Roubaix"

Despite proving his mettle on the cobbles with his courageous and strong ride at Gent-Wevelgem last month and by reaching the velodrome in Paris-Roubaix last Sunday, young Jon Izagirre isn't too enticed at the idea of returning next year. The pain makes it a rather unattractive proposition for the Ormaiztegi-native.

"I suffered a lot", he told Deia. "It was very hard. My hands, my arms... everything was hurting. I got angry. I only started to get excited once we were within five kilometres of the velodrome. Then I started to recall how I used to watch this race on the TV when I was a child. But no, it was not an enjoyable experience. I'm not sure I'll go back".

The youngest of the Izagirre brothers has posted his best results on hilly terrain so far in his career and doesn't appear to be cut out for the cobbled classics if his slender physique is anything to go by. His DS on the pavé this spring, former sprinter Iñaki Isasi, is therefore even more impressed with his young charge.

"Instead of hiding from the challenges, he rises up and confronts them. He grows on these kind of challenges", he said. "In this manner he's managed to complete Paris-Roubaix among taller and stronger riders".

The Giro d'Italia forms the centerpiece of Izagirre's first half of the season.

Landa to lead Castilla y León-charge

Specialist climber Mikel Landa is set to lead an Euskaltel team filled with Giro d'Italia-bound riders in the upcoming Vuelta a Castilla y León. The three-day stage-race north of Madrid kicks off this Friday.

According to the organizers' own webpage, 23-year-old, so impressive with second place in the GP Miguel Induráin some ten days ago, will spearhead a team consisting of Pablo Urtasun, Pierre Cazaux, Miguel Mínguez, Amets Txurruka, Iván Velasco, Mikel Nieve and Alan Pérez. Former Orbea DS Álex Díaz will lead the team from the car.

This eight-man team, featuring an abundance of climbers, will look to make their mark on Saturday's hilly stage to Ávila and Sunday's queen-stage to Segovia including three cat.1 climbs.

Check out the stage profiles here.

Orbea will also send an eight-man contingent to the 2.1-race. Aritz Arberas will lead this team: Jon Aberasturi, Omar Fraile, Igor Merino, Mikel Bizkarra, Aritz Etxebarria, Carlos Barbero, Aritz Bagües and Xabier Zabalo.

Mind you, changes may be made to these rosters as they still haven't been confirmed by the respective teams.

Samu still undecided over Classics

With less than a week to go 'till the Amstel Gold Race, Samuel Sánchez is yet to make his mind up if he'll travel to Holland or not. The recently crowned champion of the Vuelta al País Vasco is careful not to overdo it ahead of his mid-summer target.

"It's up in the air", he said of his participation in the hilly classics. "Now I'll enjoy my win in País Vasco, and then we'll decide. It's an Olympic year, so the schedule's pretty packed and there's not a lot of time between Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Dauphiné. It's important that I plan the season well - I'm not a young rider anymore either".

With the Tour de France and the London Olympics forming the crux of Samu's second part of 2012, the Euskaltel leader is contemplating doing like a certain Australian did last year to reach his July goals in peak form.

"Look at Cadel Evans last year: he planned his season very well and eventually won the Tour de France. If the Tour's the objective, we have to start looking towards it now and do what's best with that race in mind. If I were to take a break now, I might be a bit more calm when the Tour and the Games come around".

Antón defeated by Movistar in Amorebieta

Suspiciously absent in the Vuelta al País Vasco, Igor Antón proved there's nothing wrong with his form by taking third place in yesterday's Klasika Primavera de Amorebieta. The Euskaltel climber was just pipped to the line by Movistar duo Giovanni Visconti and Alejandro Valverde.

The 29-year-old jumped clear with the two Movistar riders as well as with their team-mate and Antón's erstwhile companion David López García on the Autzagane climb some five kilometres from the line. With the ever-impressive but hardly elegant Ángel Madrazo of Movistar also in close attendance, it was always going to be a hard proposition for Antón to better the Movistar quartet to the line. In a tight sprint finish at the end of the 171,6 kilometres, Italian Visconti emerged victorious ahead of Valverde and Antón, the latter thus securing his best result of the season.

Upon crossing the line, Antón told El Correo that he was relieved to grab such a result after a Vuelta al País Vasco that left him low on morale.

"Yes, this result does make me feel better", he said. "I prepared really well for the Vuelta, but for some reason it just didn't happen for me. I was tired. The first stage to Güeñes went well, but the next stage to Vitoria wasn't as good. Why? I don't know, perhaps it was the cold, the rain... On stage three to Arrate I wasn't that bad, but still I wasn't up there. The last two days I suffered badly though - not once during the race did I feel good. I was low on morale, but this result helps".

Looking towards the upcoming hilly classics, Antón was cautiously optimistic.

"We'll see how it goes. I hope to regain the form I had this time last year. And I don't think I'm that far off".

For extensive photo gallery, check this out.

Antón wasn't the only one in orange who got to stand on the podium though. Amets Txurruka won the climber's jersey after animating the race in the break of the day alongside young team-mate Peio Bilbao, Orbea's talented Aritz Bagües, the still-promising Garikoitz Bravo of Caja Rural, and Bessy of Saur-Sojasun, Veloso of Andalucía and Pacheco of Gios. This strong-looking breakaway never got much more than three minutes, and were reeled in with some 15 clicks to go.

Mikel Landa, Iván Velasco, Miguel Minguez and Romain Sicard all came up with decent performances, finishing in the main chase group at 39 seconds.

Results (Orbea riders in cursive):

• (1, Giovanni Visconti, Movistar)
• 3, Igor Antón, s.t.
• 17, Mikel Landa, 0:39
• 18, Iván Velasco, s.t.
• 20, Miguel Minguez, s.t.
• 23, Romain Sicard, s.t.
• 28, Gorka Izagirre, 2:05
• 30, Igor Merino, 2:14
• 33, Amets Txurruka, s.t.
• 39, Xabier Zabalo, s.t.
• 41, Peio Bilbao, s.t.
• 42, Mikel Nieve, s.t.
• 51, Haritz Orbe, 3:21
• 52, Mikel Bizkarra, 4:14
• 57, Illart Zuazubiskar, 4:44
• 61, Jon Aberasturi, s.t.
• 63, Aritz Etxebarria, s.t.
• 70, Victor Cabedo, 5:49
• 71, Aritz Bagües, s.t.
• 74, Carlos Barbero, 6:47

Izagirre makes it to the velodrome

Jon Izagirre made sure Euskaltel's 2012 Paris-Roubaix wasn't a total write-off as he made it to the velodrome inside the time limit. The youngster thus completed the race at the second time of asking after posting a DNF last year.

The 23-year-old came home 79th, 13:05 down, in a group containing the likes of Greipel, Quinziato, Hondo and Vanmarcke. Rubén Pérez also completed the race, but having come in some seven minutes further adrift, he was ruled to be outside the time limit and therefore classed as an HD.

None of the riders managed to get into any early-race moves or animate the race in any way, but gladly - and perhaps more importantly - none were reported to have suffered injuries. García, Cazaux, Sáez, Urtasun and A Pérez all threw in the towel.

Bib numbers for Amorebieta & Roubaix

Euskaltel and Orbea's back numbers for Sunday's Klasika Primavera de Amorebieta:

Euskaltel:

• 31 - Gorka Izagirre
• 32 - Romain Sicard
• 33 - Mikel Landa
• 34 - Igor Antón
• 35 - Amets Txurruka
• 36 - Iván Velasco
• 37 - Mikel Nieve
• 38 - Peio Bilbao
• 39 - Miguel Minguez
• 40 - Victor Cabedo

Orbea:

• 111 - Aritz Etxebarria
• 112 - Mikel Bizkarra
• 113 -
• 114 - Igor Merino
• 115 - Haritz Orbe
• 116 - Illart Zuazubiskar
• 117 - Aritz Bagües
• 118 - Carlos Barbero
• 119 - Xabier Zabalo
• 120 - Jon Aberasturi

Euskaltel for Paris-Roubaix:

• 211 - Ricardo García
• 212 - Pierre Cazaux
• 213 - Jon Izagirre
• 214 - Alan Pérez
• 215 - Rubén Pérez
• 216 - Adrián Sáez
• 217 - Pablo Urtasun

Updated UCI WorldTour-rankings

Samuel Sánchez and Euskaltel naturally rocketed up the UCI WorldTour-rankings due to Samu's two stage wins, two second places and overall win.

In the individual rankings, Samu is now ranked third in the world. The native of Oviedo, Asturias, currently holds 208 points, two less than Simon Gerrans in second place. Tom Boonen leads the way at the top of the pile with 266 points. No other Euskaltel riders have yet accumulated any points.

In the team rankings, Euskaltel are now situated in eighth - a single point behind BMC in seventh and three ahead of Movistar in ninth.

For a complete overview, click here.

"This win is for Miguel"

Samuel Sánchez and Gorka Gerrikagoitia were both quick to dedicate the former's overall Vuelta al País Vasco win to one man: team founder and general manager Miguel Madariaga. Madariaga will step back from his role at the head of the team come the end of the current season, and was visibly bursting with joy as it became clear overnight leader Joaquím Rodríguez wouldn't be able to defend his lead. According to Samu, it's nothing less than the man deserves.

"The one person who's probably more pleased with this win than I am is Miguel Madariaga. He's kept this team alive 'till this day and deserves this win. I owe him for the chance he gave me, along with his son, to make it as a professional cyclist when I was young. He held out his hand and I grabbed it. I dedicate this victory to him", Samu told the team's website.

DS Gorka Gerrikagoitia was equally expansive, saying "we owe this to him. He's lead the team for the past 19 years".

The man himself, as per tradition, looked at it from an historic point of view, recalling Agustín Sagasti securing the team it's maiden win at the same race 19 years ago.

"It's an important marker in our 19-year history. We started off at the feet of the Virgen de Arantzazu with Sagasti's win, and one of our biggest wins have now also come at this race. It's hugely satisfying".

"Now I'm at peace with myself"

Judging by his calm and collected appearance after winning the Vuelta al País Vasco earlier today, Samuel Sánchez looked to be more relieved than ecstatic about finally taking home 'his race'. Speaking to reporters after the podium ceremony, Samu sounded like a man who'd just fulfilled his one and only goal in his life.

"I've just turned 34, I've just won a race that's always eluded me, I've been third overall, I've won stages, I've lead the race... Right now I'm at peace with both myself and the fans", Samu said philosophically.

See how it all unfolded here.

The Euskaltel leader was touted by many observers as the main favourite prior to the race - but then again it's not like that hadn't been the case in earlier editions of the race. So why did he succeed this time around?

"I'd say I'm probably in better shape than I've been before. In addition, I didn't suffer a jour sans and was therefore able to finish it off.

"As a team we were outstanding. We're a small team fighting it out with 20-million euro budget teams, but we showed we had the necessary perseverance and mentality, and we worked well. My team-mates have worked for me since day one, and they brought me into a position to win this race."

Click this link to view Iñaki Azanza's high-end pics of the entire race.

Speaking of the time trial course, which looked more like a hill-climb competition watching from the sofa anyway, Samu admitted the slippery and sinuous roads made for dangerous riding - but added succinctly that every bike has breaks if needs be.

"The course was dangerous, but it was equal for everyone", he told El Correo. "We're all free to take the risks we want to take, and every bike out there had breaks. I really liked the course and therefore took the risks".

Joaquím Rodríguez, who lead Samu by nine seconds going into the stage, was not too keen to risk life and limb for the win. He wasn't displeased with finishing second though, saying he came across a "really impressive" Samuel Sánchez.

"I didn't go full gas on the descents - the roads were slippery and it wasn't worth the risk. I felt good though, but unfortunately Samu was really impressive. He knows the roads well, is a better time trialist than me and did a great race."

What with four wins and the biggest prize of them all, the home race, in the bag, the 2012 season can already be classified as a success for the orange team. Samu isn't done just yet though. Taking out the País Vasco has long been on his 'to do'-list, but the affable 34-year-old says he's still got dreams to fulfill before retiring.

"Little by little my dreams from when I was a child are coming true: I've been on the podium in the Tour as the mountains classification winner, I've been third in that race (not in the way I hoped though), I've won Olympic gold and now this. The only thing I'm missing is a medal at the world championships".

His rivals are herby warned.