Team will improve, vows Antón
"You never know if joining another team will be a good move. But Euskaltel, for better or for worse, is my home team", he told DEIA. "On Tuesday, when the contract extension was made official, I disconnected totally. Extending the deal was never an obsession - at no time did it stress me.
"I was convinced the idea of this team wouldn't die. I was confident the team would stay on, and in addition the budget will be bigger next year, which is a good thing. We're privileged. We're in the Champions League of cycling, and these changes will help us improve. It isn't easy, but step by step we'll continue to grow", he said.
As one of the veterans and icons of the team, tying Antón down to another few years in orange was a major coup for Galdeano et al. The likes of himself and Samuel Sánchez aren't the only ones capable of getting results though, says Antón, who praises the current group of youngsters at the team.
"We've got a batch of very good riders. But in addition to Landa and the Izagirre brothers, we've also got Peio Bilbao, Sicard and others yet to make the step up. Miguel Madariaga plays an important role here. He'll continue to work for the Fundación Euskadi and find new talents".
The 29-year-old has centred the whole of 2012 around the Vuelta a España which gets underway next weekend. He remains winless less than a week before the big kick-off in Pamplona, but the diminutive climber is hopeful he can rediscover the form that likely would have brought him to the top step of the final podium two years ago if it hadn't been for an untimely crash.
"Hopefully I'll have the legs of 2010. The stages in Asturias are the best ones for me; I love the climbs of Cuitu Negro and the Lagos. It would be special to win at Arrate, but it'll be difficult as it isn't hard enough for me to make enough of a difference".
1 comment:
again no single word about Nieve. Seems to be that he already signed with another team. Very disappointing!
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