Euskaltel put on a great performance today in the second stage of the Tour de Romandie. Aitor Galdos grabbed an impressive 8th in the final bunch-sprint, while the whole Euskaltel team as well showed strength throughout the stage. Euskaltel marshalled the peloton brilliantly all day long together with Milram, and had full control on the French guy in front, Nicolas Crosbie. It all came down to a mass-sprint, where a pile-up marred the day. Though, of what I`ve heard, none of the Euskaltel riders hit the deck, so that`s a positive. As mentioned, Aitor placed 8th, so his form is clearly coming along nicely ahead of the Tour de France. It`ll be interesting to see what the team can come up with the next few days, especially on the queen-stage on Saturday, as it must be taken as a sign of strength and confidence that Euskaltel bothered to sit at the front all day. That probably means that Amets Txurruka, Igor Antón, Haimar Zubeldia and Mikel Astarloza are all feeling good. Well, only time will tell I guess. Those four, along with Aitor obviously, finished in the 112-man strong leading group, on the same time as winner McEwen. Gorka Verdugo came in 130th, 5:19 back, Iñigo Landaluze was 138th, 5:53 back, while Jon Bru came home 156th, 8:28 back, exhausted after his brilliant work for the team.
I have absolutely no idea why, but Euskaltel did not take to the start in today`s Subida al Naranco. Their line-up could be found in several different newspapers and on cycling pages, but nonetheless, they didn`t take part. Though, if I find out, I`ll for sure let you know...
1. First, could you tell us a bit about your move to Euskaltel and how it happened?
Jorge: Euskaltel were already interested in me in May, and in June I decided to join them as the future of Kaiku was still unclear.
2. How important has Oscar Guerrero been to you and your career?
Jorge: He`s meant a lot to me. I`ve known him since I was a kid, and as a cyclist he`s helped me a lot. I always followed his advice.
3. What was the training camp in Alicante earlier this year like?
Jorge: It was similar to all pre-season training camps: a lot of training, a lot of massages and we charged the batteries for the season ahead. It was the typical training camp.
4. How’s the transition from Kaiku to Euskaltel and the Pro Tour gone?
Jorge: Very well, I`m content. With Euskaltel I`ll have the possibilities to ride races that weren`t possible with Kaiku.
5. You joined Euskaltel when their biggest star, Iban Mayo, left. How do you think Euskaltel will cope without Iban? Is the team strong enough without him?
Jorge: It`s clear that it was a big loss, but I think there are riders here who`re improving a lot and we`ll try our best to fill the void.
6. How’s the team-spirit at Euskaltel? Do you feel at ease in the team?
Jorge: Yes, definetely. They`ve all been really nice since the first day, and there`s a lot of confidence between the riders and the rest of the team.
7. Jon Bru, Andoni Aranaga and Dioni Galparsoro have also been at Kaiku. How did that help you integrate in the team?
Jorge: Obviously it`s important for me that they`re here as well, because I trust them and it`s made it easier to intergrate with the team.
8. You did some TT testing with Igor Antón earlier this year in the vélodrome in San Sebastián. Tell us about it; the changes to the position you made, the importance of such tests and whether you found it useful.
Jorge: They (the tests) are very useful and important when it comes to aerodynamics. We tried different positions on the bike to find the position which results in the highest power-output, and I`ll use this position in ITTs.
9. You’ve done a lot of races already this season. Are you pleased with your performances so far?
Jorge: Yes. I`m riding well, but I need to take a step so that I can figth for the wins. Though, I`m improving year by year.
10. Tell us about you calendar this year and what your main goals will be. Is the Vuelta an option for you?
Jorge: At the beginning, I was scheduled to do the Tour. Though, I have to see how I recuperate from my injury ( the broken collarbone).
11. You are scheduled to do the Tour this year. Tell us about your role in the team for the Tour and your ambitions and thoughts on riding the biggest race on earth.
Jorge: My job will be to do what the team tells me to do. But I would also like to be a protagonist or enter some important breaks as well. It`s also important for me to finish the race.
12. Realistically, how do you think Euskaltel will do in the Tour this summer?
Jorge: I think the team will do a good Tour. We`ve experienced riders with us (like Zubeldia, Isasi, Landaluza) and young riders (like Anton and Galdos). I think and I hope that they will be protagonists on several stages. I also think Zubeldia will get a good overall placing.
13. Euskaltel is a Basque team. Do any of you speak Basque together, or is all communication in Castellano?
Jorge: We speak both languages, though, not everyone know Euskera (Basque).
14. Being a pro cyclist can be tough at times I guess. You can’t eat what you want, you travel a lot, spend a lot of time away from your family etc. Do you ever think that you want to live a “normal life” and do something else for a living? Is all the hard work and training worth the sacrifices?
Jorge: For me it is. It`s been dream for me to be a cyclist my whole life, and I`m very happy that I`m able to do what I like for a living. So, for me at least, it`s worth the sacrifices.
15. What’s your stance on DNA testing? Would you give a DNA sample if that was requested?
Jorge: I think it`s really bad that they request DNA from us, as they`re already dealing with us like criminals. I would only give my DNA if a judge requested it.
16. Do the riders talk about the “Puerto” case and doping in general while at races?
Jorge: Yes, we talk about it, but not any different than everybody else.
17. Are you OK with riders implicated in the “Puerto” case riding in the same races as you?
Jorge: If they`ve proved that they`re innocent, then yes. Then they`re as innocent as everybody else.
18. Would you like to see riders implicated in the “Puerto” scandal ride for Euskaltel, like Beloki, David Etxebarria or the Osa`s, if they cleared their names completely?
Jorge: Of course, they`re all quality cyclists.
19. What are your thoughts on the Pro Tour? Do you prefer the old system compared to the new one?
Jorge: To me it seems that the Pro Tour isn`t any good for the smaller teams. The old system made it easier for teams to be created, and gave new opportunities for riders.
20. Finally, as my blog is called Iban Mayo Blog, it would be nice if you could you tell us a bit about your relationship to Iban. Like, do you know him well, do you ever talk to him, and how you rate Iban as a cyclist, for example.
Jorge: As a rider, I think he`s excellent. Personally, the few times I`ve met him he`s always been very nice and friendly towards me.
