Urtasun to spearhead sprint department

Pablo Urtasun will move away from the role as Euskaltel's utility rider and instead become the team's go-to-man in the sprint finishes. So says the team's main DS, Gorka Gerrikagoitia.

Basque newspaper Gara today reports from the team's training camp in Alicante, and says the 31-year-old is now the "fastest rider on the team" in the wake of Koldo Fernández's departure. Urtasun has been seen towing along the team's GC hopefuls in the Grand Tours as well the aforementioned Fernández and Isasi in the sprints ever since his move to the team in January 2009, but his days as a domestique are now evidently over.

The former team CSC stagiare will co-lead the team along with Álan and Rubén Pérez at Paris-Roubaix and the Ronde van Vlaanderen this spring, while he'll channel his energy the rest of the season on securing the team valuable top finishes on the flatter stages in week-long stage-races.

Notoriously underrated throughout his career, the speedy Urdiain, Navarra, native actually has five professional victories to his name, of which two stage-wins in the Vuelta a Asturias stand out. Check out his complete profile here.