Orbea set for Ronde de l'Isard

Orbea will send their five under-23 riders to the 2012 edition of the Ronde de l'Isard starting this Thursday.

The prestigious four-day stage race will run from Thursday through Sunday, and will see the following riders line up: Illart Zuazubiskar, Igor Merino, Carlos Barbero, Haritz Orbe and Omar Fraile. A lot of the riders, perhaps particularly Fraile and Merino, showed strong climbing form in the recent Vuelta a Asturias, but they have a job on their hands if they are to repeat the stage-winning heroics of Romain Sicard and Jonathan Castroviejo of years past: a host of strong rider from the US, France, Russia, you name it, will be present. Among the favourites are recent Bidasoa champ Alexey Rybalkin, Entente Sud Gascogne's Quentin Pacher, USA Cycling's Rob Squire and France's Julien Alaphilippe.

Foto: www.orbea.com