Naturgas Energía: the class of 2013

The Fundación Euskadi's sub-23 outfit, Naturgas Energía, was today presented to the public, and the red and white team will be made up of 17 riders in the fast-approaching season.

Ten riders will stay on from the 2012 batch, with seven riders coming over from other teams. These signings, which have been reported on extensively throughout the winter, have been brought in from all over Spain, and thus gives the team a somewhat more domestic, instead of regional, feel to it.

The full roster is as follows:

• Ardaiz, Eduardo (21, Óbanos)
• Barrón, Alberto (19, Trucíos)
• Baudron, Karl (21, Lons, France)
• Chetout, Loïc (21, Bayonne, France)
• Comins, Pablo (20, Castellón)
• Estévez, Imanol (20, Vitoria-Gasteiz)
• Etxeberría, Víctor (20, Estella-Lizarra)
• Font, Bernat (19, Barcelona)
• Gil, Noel (19, Villarreal)
• González, Alain (21, Vitoria-Gasteiz)
• González del Campo, Óscar (19, Dainiel)
• Martin, Francisco Javier (20, Vitoria-Gasteiz)
• Morales, Aitor (20, Vitoria-Gasteiz)
• Sáez de Ocariz, Eder (19, Etxebarri-Urtupiña) 
• Sánchez, Oier (20, Bilbao)
• Santamaría, Alain (20, Santo Domingo de la Calzada)
• Trueba, Álvaro (20, Polanco)

Ion Lazkano drove the team car a few times last season, and will be the main sports director this campaign. He'll be assisted by trainer Iñigo Urretxua.

After a successful 2012, in which Imanol Estévez took out the overall Torneo Lehendakari-series, the team will hope to see another few riders move into the professional ranks in 2014. Mikel Iturria and Jon Larrinaga both 'graduated' to Orbea this off-season, while Jon Aberasturi followed in the footsteps of Ricardo García and Mikel Landa this year in going through the entire Fundación Euskadi system by signing for Euskaltel.

The team will start its season in France this weekend, while the Basque season kicks off in Soraluze on the 24th of February.

Photo: Pascal Baudron