De Lis signs

Sergio De Lis has surprisingly signed a two-year deal with Euskaltel. When I say surprisingly it's not because I don't rate him 'cause, believe me, I do, but it's surprising because Madariaga, Galdeano et al. have been saying these last weeks that no more riders would join the team. As it turns out, the UCI regulations say that every Pro Tour team must at least have 23 riders on their books. It's a mistery to me why the Euskaltel heads weren't aware of the rule. But, anyway, they chose to hire promising 22-year-old Sergio De Lis from Orbea. Sergio is a gifted time triallist and can, in his own words, defend himself in the mountains. "It's a great joy to join Euskaltel", he enthused. "It's every Basque cyclist's dream. They (the Fundacion Euskadi) have supported me ever since I rode for Alfus Tedes. I continued to progress in Orbea, and now I'm here! It's an enormous satisfaction, and I'll continue to work hard. I can't let this opportunity slip away." Sergio has a background from the track, something which will no doubt come in handy in the time trials. He's numerous track wins to his name, and he's also won the under-23 Spanish Road Race Championship. I've watched him closely this year, and I've been impressed with his performances. Especially his showing in the Circuito Montañes, where he held the leader's jersey for two days, was awesome. Next year will of course all be about adjusting to Pro Tour-level racing, but I'm very optimistic that he'll one day turn into a winner on the road.