No agreement with Fundación over team vehicles; Galdeano looks to ONCE

La Fundación Ciclista Euskadi may face a considerable budget deficit after it's been revealed that Euskaltel will not buy the current team vehicles from the foundation.

This website reported in August that foundation alma mater Miguel Madariaga was in need of half a million euros to balance the books, and that the foundation was hoping to cover this budget shortfall by selling team buses and vehicles to Galdeano and co.

"We need 565 000 euro. Our four buses, our truck and our caravan is more or less worth that exact amount. We can't just give them away as we've got books to balance. The problem is that Eukaltel think they own them. My lawyer says they don't", he said then, adding "we don't deserve this treatment".

Today's El Correo reveals that "the new Euskaltel have not been able to come to an agreement with the Fundación Euskadi over the buses and vehicles used by the team the last few years". Instead, the article goes on to claim, the new team chiefs are contemplating buying ONCE's old fleet vehicles. ONCE is of course Galdeano's former team, a team that ceased to exist in 2006.

A decision does not appear to have been taken, but expect señor Madariaga to have something to say if Euskaltel do go ahead with their plans.

Photo: BBC