Former Euskaltel duo set for Vuelta

Erstwhile Euskaltel pair Aitor Galdós and Javier Aramendía will both ride the Vuelta a España later this month for current team Caja Rural.

The duo feature among the Pro Conti outfit's nine chosen riders for the last Grand Tour of the year, starting in the team's hometown of Pamplona. Neither Galdós nor Aramendía have ever participated in their country's own three-week race, but they both have one Giro d'Italia behind them. 25-year-old Aramendía, born in Funes on the outskirts of Pamplona, did the Italian GT back in 2011 and finished up 115th overall, a result which sadly reflects the underwhelming performances he came up with during his four-year stay with the team.

32-year-old Galdós abandoned his only Giro on stage seven of the 2008 edition, the day after Alan Pérez finished second to the later disgraced Matteo Priamo of CSF Group Navigare. Ermua-native Galdós spent four years with Euskaltel between 2007 and 2010.

Both have had a dire run of it so far this year; Galdós win in the sprints classification in the recent Vuelta a Burgos is his best result of the year, while Aramendía's 30th place in the national champs road race is his top placing as far as I know.

Caja Rural's full roster for the Vuelta a España: David de la Fuente, Aitor Galdós, Manuel Cardoso, Javier Aramendía, Danail Petrov, Antonio Piedra, Hernani Broco, Marcos García and André Cardoso.

Other Basques set to feature in the race are Cofidis rider Egoitz García, fresh off winning the Pariz-Corrèze, Sky's Xabier Zandio, Garmin-Sharp's sprinter and former Euskaltel star Koldo Fernández, Movistar and former Euskaltel duo Jonathan Castroviejo and Beñat Intxausti, Rabobank's Juanma Garate and possibly RadioShack duo Markel Irizar and Haimar Zubeldia.