Basque batch called up to represent Spain

Five Basques have been selected by national team coach Pascual Momparler to ride the sub-23 Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid this weekend.

So reports the Spanish Cycling Federation on Tuesday.

The riders in question are Euskadi trio Haritz Orbe, Mikel Iturria and Mikel Aristi, Gipuzkoa-Eki Sport duo Ibai Daboz and Beñat Txoperena. Complementing the squad are Euskadi's Carlos Barbero, hailing from Burgos in Castilla y León, and Rodrigo Araque from the same region.

Basque Cycling News recently interviewed Iturria - read the interview here.

Photo: Iñaki Azanza

Nieve-crash hinders Euskaltel

Euskaltel's bad luck in team time trials this year continued as Mikel Nieve hit the deck on the Tour de France's fourth leg on Tuesday.

In the Giro d'Italia, a flat tyre inside the last click saw a potential top 10 result turn into 22nd by the finish line. The team wasn't on course for a top ten today, but they passed the intermediate check point in 16th when ill-fortune struck again:

Team captain Mikel Nieve took a tumble on a corner, and the team was forced to sit up and wait for him.

By the finish, the team had dropped to 21st, 1:23 in arrears.

Nieve escaped serious injury and will be fit to start on Wednesday, and team boss Igor González de Galdeano was unconcerned when speaking to the team's website post-race.

"It's a shame he crashed, but it's not a big worry", he stated. "The result doesn't reflect our performance today - 16th at the intermediate point is more accurate. We didn't come to the Tour to fight for the general classification, so the time lost doesn't really make a difference".

Results:

• (1, Orica-GreenEdge, 25:56)
• 21, Euskaltel, 1:23

Photo: BCPT

The big guys go stage-hunting

They said they'd be aggressive and aggressive they were. Euskaltel's pair of captains both went on the offensive on Monday's third stage of the Tour.

Going up the last climb of the day, the cat. 2 Col de Marsolino, they both put in digs in turns. First Antón, then Nieve.

The former looked spent even before he jumped and didn't get much of a gap. The latter, though, looked much more on his game and managed to join forces with Chavanel, Nordhaug and Rolland on the road to the finish in Calvi.

A potent quartet it was, but the sprinters weren't going to let another chance at glory slip from their grasp and duly caught them inside the final five clicks.

Simon Gerrans, who famously gave his word to Egoi Martínez on stage 15 of the 2008 Tour that he wouldn't attack him at the end of the stage but still did and ended up with the win, bested Peter Sagan by the tiniest of margins to take his team Orica-GreenEdge's first ever win at the Grand Boucle.

Gorka Izagirre made an effort to get in on the action and ended up tenth.

On a less positive note, brother Ion's white jersey ambitions took a big hit when he punctured right at the base of the final climb - in other words at the worst possible time. Rubén Pérez handed him his well but it was to little help, Izagirre going on to cede close to four minutes.

Results:

• (1, Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge), 3:41:24)
• 10, Gorka Izagirre, s.t.
• 35, Mikel Astarloza, s.t.
• 45, Igor Antón, s.t.
• 67, Mikel Nieve, s.t.
• 96, Ion Izagirre, 3:40
• 141, Juan José Oroz, 8:26
• 146, Juan José Lobato, s.t.
• 149, Romain Sicard, s.t.
• 176, Rubén Pérez, 9:15

Mikel Iturria - I didn't expect to be this good

For a rider who came in the backdoor at the very last minute, 2013 has been quite the journey for young Mikel Iturria.

Plucked from sub-23 outfit Naturgas Energía, Iturria was a last-minute addition to the renamed Continental-ranked Equipo Euskadi, a continuation of Euskaltel's highly-efficient feeder team Orbea.

Asked by Basque Cycling News how he ended up signing for the team on the 30th of January this year, a mere four days before the team's first race of the season, his answer is as straightforward as it's surprising.

"To be honest I don't know how that came about", he confides. "I didn't expect it. What I know is that the team needed two more riders to reach the minimum required, which is ten, and they decided to trust me with one of those spots despite not getting any big results in the sub-23 ranks.

"I'm very grateful towards (team boss, founder and Fundación Ciclista Euskadi president) Miguel Madariaga and (Fundación vice-president) Iñaki Zarate for giving me this opportunity".

After the first six months of the season, chances are Messrs. Madariaga and Zarate are happy with giving the 21-year-old from Urnieta on the outskirts of San Sebastián his shot at the big time.

The lanky rider has shown promise throughout the season, most recently at the Spanish National Championships when he figured in the race-deciding move that formed late in the road race.

Prior to that he'd finished an eye-catching seventh overall at French stage-race Ronde de l'Isard in May - one of the most prestigious races for riders below the age of 23 in the world. In early June he came fourth on the final stage of the Ronde de l'Oise.

"Honestly I wasn't expecting to be this good in my first year as a professional", he says. "I've been feeling better and better as the season's progressed, and I've been feeling strong since the Vuelta a Madrid in May. It's exceeded my expectations.

"Yes, I'm pleased with how I've performed. I think I did well in my debut on Mallorca and, despite not being pleased with how I raced in March and April, the work I did then is paying off now".

Asked to describe himself as a cyclist, Iturria says he's a rider who's strong "on long and hard days in the saddle. I'm at ease in stage races", he says. As to his weaknesses, he insists he's "not explosive at all" and "very slow in the sprints".

In other words he seems to be a rider very much in the Mikel Nieve-mould. A corredor de fondo, a marathon-rider who gets stronger as races progress and other riders weaken.

Age and talent taken into account, his own future appears undoubtedly rosy.

That much can't be said of his team. Madariaga is struggling to make ends meet and has publicly aired his fears that the team might very well be history when 2013 ends and 2014 begins.

Iturria says he's not got a plan B in place if the team does cease to exist and he needs to go job hunting with the ever-decreasing number of teams on the domestic scene.

"For now", he says, "the only thing I can do, and my team-mates at that, is continuing to work hard".

If hard work is what's brought him to where he is now, continuing to do the same might just take him even further on his journey that started so unexpectedly that day in January.

Pérez and Izagirre keep up appearances

Two of the most aggressive riders in recent Tour de France history once again animated the racing in the race's second stage on Sunday.

Rubén Pérez - twice the rider to have accumulated the most kilometres off the front in the race in previous editions - and Gorka Izagirre both took over the mantle from yesterday's escapee and today's king of the mountains, Juan José Lobato.

Pérez got into the day's main break but could do little to stop Lobato losing his polkadots to, first, Lars Boom, and then Pierre Rolland.

The four-man break he was a part of was reeled in only halfway through, though, setting the stage for an aggressive final 70 clicks of the 156km stage from Bastia to Ajaccio.

The oldest of the Izagirre brothers got in on the attack in the finale, forming part of eventual winner Jan Bakelants six-man move. He didn't make it, Gorka, but he's a dead-cert for a few more attempts later on in the race.

Euskaltel's three main men, Ion Izagirre, Igor Antón and Mikel Nieve, all made it in with the pack, while Juan José Oroz and debutant Romain Sicard both found the going tougher, going on to cede 12 and 17 minutes respectively.

Results:

• (1, Jan Bakelants (RadioShack-Leopard), 3:43:11)
• 17, Ion Izagirre, 0:01
• 32, Mikel Astarloza, s.t.
• 46, Igor Antón, s.t.
• 55, Gorka Izagirre, s.t.
• 57, Mikel Nieve, s.t.
• 139, Juan José Oroz, 12:44
• 153, Juan José Lobato, 17:35
• 154, Romain Sicard, s.t.
• 166, Rubén Pérez, s.t.

Photo. BCPT

Txoperena takes maiden win in Mungia

Basque Beñat Txoperena romped to his first win of the season in Sunday's Memorial Agustín Sagasti in Mungia, Biscaya.

The Gipuzkoa-Eki Sport rider jumped away from the lead group in the finale to reach the line ten seconds ahead of his nearest chasers, led home by Russian Sergey Vdovin ahead of Naturgas Energía's Loïc Chetout.

The race pays tribute to the late Euskaltel Euskadi rider who at the Vuelta al País Vasco in 1994 took the team's very first victory.

Results:

• 1, Beñat Txoperena (Gipuzkoa Eki Sport), 3:17:45
• 2, Sergey Vdovi (Lokospinkx), 0:10
• 3, Loic Chetout (Naturgas Energía), s.t.
• 4, Pavel Karpenkov (Lokospinkx), s.t.
• 5, Paul Usabel (Café Baqué - Conservas Campos), s.t.
• 6, Martin Lestido (Supermercados Froiz), s.t.
• 7, Sergio Rodríguez (Seguros Bilbao), s.t.
• 8, Javier García (Coluer), s.t.
• 9, Peio Goikoetxea (Café Baqué - Conservas Campos), s.t.
• 10, Gonzalo Andrés (Ciudad de Oviedo - Nesta), s.t.

Photo: Iñaki Azanza

Lobato makes dream debut come true

In taking the climber's jersey on the very first day of his very first Tour de France, Juan José Lobato made the best Grand Boucle debut in the team's history on Saturday.

Executing a carefully laid team plan to perfection, the 24-year-old got into the day's main break straight away and picked up the only mountain points on offer. In cresting the Côte de Sotta ahead of his four breakaway companions, the Andalusian got to don the famous (or is that infamous) polkadots at the end of the 212km opener from Porto Vecchio to Bastia.

"This is a very nice start", he told the team's website matter-of-factly. "To get to climb the podium on my Tour debut makes me happy. We're at the best race in the world and I'm in the climber's jersey.

"We started out very motivated and got our reward. It was hard to achieve, but we did it. We can only be pleased with that".

As with most cyclists, a moment of triumph is a moment to remember the ones that've stuck by your side throughout the years.

"I want to thank my family, my girlfriend and Rufino Murguia," he said, paying tribute to the late Euskaltel masseur. "My family and girlfriend have always helped me, in good times and in bad. Rufino not being here has left a big void - he was very passionate about cycling and about this team.

"He always had words of encouragement, and today we heard him", he concluded.

To cap off what can only be considered a superb start to the race, none of the Euskaltel riders hit the ground in the late-race carnage that will make sure the first stage of the 2013 edition will be remembered for years to come.

Results:

• (1, Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano), 4:56:52)
• 18, Rubén Pérez, s.t.
• 56, Romain Sicard, s.t.
• 59, Mikel Astarloza, s.t.
• 65, Gorka Izagirre, s.t.
• 72, Juan José Oroz, s.t.
• 73, Igor Antón, s.t.
• 81, Ion Izagirre, s.t.
• 89, Mikel Nieve, s.t.
• 135, Juan José Lobato, s.t.

Photo: Le Tour

Euskadi & Naturgas round-up

The Tour de France might be just about to start, but there's racing going on in other parts of the world too.

Fresh off his second place in Tolosa on Monday, Loïc Chetout will spearhead Naturgas Energía in the hilly Clásica de Mungia this Sunday. The race, not part of the Torneo Lehendakari nor the Euskaldun race series, will see the following riders in red and white line up:

Karl Baudron, Alain Santamaría, Loïc Chetout, Víctor Etxeberría, Bernat Font, Álvaro Trueba, Noel Gil and Javier Martín.

Meanwhile, Euskadi rider Carlos Barbero showed what a consistent rider he's become by grabbing sixth in the Mediterranean Games on Friday.

The punchy 22-year-old from Burgos, Castilla y León, was picked to represent his country, and he did not let national selector Pascual Momparler down. He could do little to prevent Italian Nicola Ruffoni coming away with the win, but he still had the end-speed necessary to grab a solid result in Mersin, Turkey.

Photo: Orbea

The new Orbea Orca is here - and it's spectacular

In time for the Tour de France, Orbea have given their flagship machine, the Orca, a new look.

As you can see from the picture, there's a whole lot more of orange - they've even managed to include the famous Euskaltel butterfly on the top tube. If you look closely, you can also see the Basque flag, the Ikurriña, on the monostay above the rear wheel.

Euskaltel first rode the Orca in that legendary 2003 Tour that saw Ibán Mayo and Haimar Zubeldia put both their team's name, and that of their equipment provider, on the global cycling map.

The new bike colour scheme goes hand in hand with the new-look Orbea Odin helmet the riders will be using in France and for the rest of the season.

Check out the video teaser below to see Samuel Sánchez try on both the helmet and the bike:



For more pics of the bike, click this link.

Photo: Bike Rumor

Galdeano - We'll go for two jerseys at the Tour

Upon unveiling Euskaltel's chosen nine for the Tour de France on Monday, team boss Igor González de Galdeano seemed keen to downplay expectations.

"A stage win is the goal" and "we aim to be aggressive" were, as per tradition, the responses to questions about the team's goals at the biggest bike race on earth. Talking to Bilbao-based daily El Correo, though, he revealed he's got designs on two of the jerseys on offer.

"We'll fight for the white jersey of best young rider with Ion Izagirre", he said of the youngest of the Izagirres, set to make his debut in the race. "And with Antón and Nieve we'll fight for the mountains jersey".

Antón admitted to this website that the can see himself wearing polkadots in the future last week, explaining what a big triumph Sánchez's triumph in that particular competition meant to the team back in 2011.

Having taken part in the Tour de France every year since 2001, that climber's jersey is somewhat surprisingly the only jersey the team's ever won. In the Vuelta and the Giro, the team has never conquered one.

Photo: BCPT

Euskaltel reveal economic woes

When the 'new Euskaltel Euskadi' was presented to the watching world late last year, it came with the news of a four-year WorldTour license and a budget reportedly hovering around 10 million euros a year.

By all indications, the future was safe.

Speaking just a few days before the start of this year's Tour de France, team boss Igor González de Galdeano reveals that might not be the case.

"The economic crisis forces us to find a secondary sponsor", he tells Basque newspaper El Correo.

Up until this point, such a sponsor has not been found. According to knowledgeable cycling scribe Benito Urraburu of El Diario Vasco, the team could be staring at a four million deficit at the end of this year.

While equipment providers Orbea and Bio Racer have shipped in with money and not just bikes, helmets and jerseys this season, the reduction in financial support from the regional governments in the Basque Country is harming the team.

Questioned if the team's future is in doubt, Galdeano says it's out of his hands.

"I don't know. Euskaltel (the telephone company) must answer that question. My job is to get results. I don't think anyone is considering a future without Eukaltel Euskadi, but... everything's possible.

"When it comes to the team's future, you have to ask Euskaltel. I'm just focussing on the next month. But I can see that the situation we're in is difficult. Euskaltel have to answer what future this team has".

Euskaltel's 2013 season has been anything but spectacular in sporting terms. The team has just five wins to its name heading into the Tour, and two of those are Ioannis Tamouridis' wins at the recent Greek national championships.

With the foreigners brought in over the winter failing to fire, added to slight matter of Alexander Serebryakov's doping positive, Euskaltel's new philosophy, or rather the abandonment of their previous unique one, has taken a hit.

Galdeano admits it hasn't all gone to plan.

"They were signed so we could get the points we needed to secure a WorldTour license", he says frankly. "We achieved that. Afterwards, it's true they haven't performed, but they've had a lot of bad luck with injuries and health issues. Still, though, their points have us a four-year WorldTour license. We could, for example, revert to an all-Basque team", he concludes.

Chaoufi to take extended break

Tarik Chaoufi won't be seen in an Euskaltel line-up for at least two months, reports the team's website on Wednesday.

The Moroccan kick-started his second part of the year with the Vuelta a Madrid and Asturias in May, but he's now gone back to Morocco because a close relative of him is experiencing health problems.

He'll return to the Basque Country in mid-August, and will then embark on a series of one-day races in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Reigning national champ Chaoufi finished seventh in the Moroccan nationals the past weekend.

Troubles persist for Kocjan

2013 has been everything but the dream first season in the WorldTour Jure Kocjan might have expected it to be. The Slovenian revealed to this website in April that he'd been struggling with a viral infection at the start of the season, but added, optimistically, that he'd be back in action by mid-May.

Back he was, but now he might be facing another spell on the sidelines. According to the team's website today, "it seems the viral infection won't go away". He'll now undergo further tests.

A comeback-date has not been set.

Photo: BCPT

Euskaltel touch down in Corsica

Euskaltel have already gotten a taste of what the Tour de France's opening stage will be like.

The race commences this Saturday, but the team is already on the French island, reports the team's official website on Wednesday.

The riders and staff first took a flight from Biarritz to Paris, before boarding a plane to Figari Sud-Corse Airport located in the southern part of the island. A bus then took them to the team hotel in Lecci, some 15 clicks from Porto-Vecchio - the site of the start of stage one.

Keen to make the most of their early arrival, the riders then headed out for a gentle 90-minute spin to get a feel for the roads.

The race kicks off with a 212km leg from Porto-Vecchio to Bastia in three days' time.

Photo: Iñaki Azanza