Lobato: "It's a dream come true"

The arrival of young sprinter Juan José Lobato was one of the few arrivals, if not the only one, that was met with some kind of approval by Euskaltel fans last Saturday. The 23-year-old, who took his biggest win to date last year in the Basque Country at the Circuito de Getxo, signed a two-year deal, and was allowed to join the orange team for free despite having several years left on his contract with Andalucía - Caja Granada.

Writing on his Facebook account, the Trebejuena-born prodigy sounded keen to get started.

"My first message is one of gratefulness towards Andalucía for giving me this opportunity. And especially to Antonio Cabello, a man who's always trusted me", he wrote. "I only hope the team will continue next year - cycling needs it and they deserve it. As for Euskaltel, there's not much to say: it's a dream come true.

"Now I need to work harder than ever not to disappoint. I'm not a pure sprinter, and my biggest wins as an amateur and as a pro have come on the constantly up-and-down terrain of Euskadi. The challenge of riding in the WorldTour is a big one, but it's what every cyclist dream of. Hopefully I won't disappoint the Basque fans".

If you feel like listening on in a recent interview he did with Radio Euskadi, click here.

Photo: www.teinteresa.es