Thursday, July 01, 2010

13 Basques in Tour

Just though I'd let you know that 13 Basques will line up for the Tour start in Rotterdam on Saturday. Naturally Euskaltel have the majority of these 13 on it's roster, eight to be precise. Those are Iván Velasco, Iñaki Isasi, Gorka Verdugo, Egoi Martínez, Juan José Oroz, Amets Txurruka and Rubén and Alan Pérez. Mind you, Samu is not a Basque, eventhough I'm sure you all want him to be. The five others are the brilliant Juanma Garate from Rabobank, Vuelta stage-winner Imanol Erviti from Caisse d'Epargne, and Footon-Servetto trio Arkaitz Durán, who really should get out of that team and join Euskaltel at season's end by the way, the ever-improving Ibán Mayoz and stalwart Aitor Pérez Arrieta. The latter wasn't originally slated to ride but was today hurried off to Rotterdam after the inexplicable dumping of Giampaolo Cheula earlier today. A lot of talented vascos on show no doubt, but I would have loved to see Haimar healthy and recovered at the start-line as well.

3 comments:

arnout said...

Haimar made a big mistake by going to RadioShack. His career is basically over now, and that's a shame.

Mikel said...

Why you think that arnout??
Riding for Astana his role had been the same

arnout said...

Well in the important races he'll always be a domestique. With Astana he would have had the chance to give it a shot in the Vuelta for example.

Haimar didn't deliver in the last few years anyway, so maybe he's happy with the way his career is developing now.

By the way, something Euskaltel should keep an eye on: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/miguel-indurains-son-follows-his-fathers-path

 

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