Final Lehendakari standings

Imanol Estévez closed out a promising first season in the sub-23 ranks last weekend by claiming the overall Torneo Lehendakari-series win on the last day in Oñati. Finalizing the standings have taken the Basque Cycling Federation considerable time, but finally they've come through with the top ten riders. Naturgas Energía stand out as the team with the most representatives in the top ten with four, while the team finished runner-up to the mighty Caja Rural in the team rankings.

Official final Torneo Lehendakari results:

1. Imanol Estévez (Naturgas Energía) - 200
2. Aitor González (Debabarrena) - 194
3. Jon Larrinaga (Naturgas Energía) - 184
4. Rubén Fernández (Caja Rural) - 160
5. Mikel Iturria (Naturgas Energía) - 147
6. Loïc Chetout (Naturgas Energía) - 147
7. Fernando Grijalba (Caja Rural) - 144
8. Beñat Txoperena (Bidelan-Kirolgi) - 143
9. Cristobal Sánchez (Seguros Bilbao) - 140
10. Miguel Ángel Benito (Caja Rural) - 136

Team rankings:

1. Caja Rural - 243
2. Naturgas Energía - 233
3. Seguros Bilbao - 213

The Basque Country's other race series, the Torneo Euskaldun, open to both elite as well as sub-23s, was taken out by Azysa - Telco'm - Conor WRC's Borja Abásolo ahead of Bidelan's Basque Markel Antón and current Azysa rider (but soon to be Movistar rider) Arkaitz Durán.

Photo: Pascal Baudron