Euskaltel-Euskadi closing

[Angliru]

I bought my Orbea because of Iban Mayo and Haimar Zubeldia's 2003 Tour performances. They opened my eyes to their passionate cycling region and I've been a avid follower of their team ever since. As has been stated previously, it's a very sad day. I'll try to reflect on the good times:

-Samu winning the Olympic gold was one of my happiest days in watching sports. With Olympic gold, his Tour podium, Tour KoM classification and Vuelta/classic podiums means that Samu will go down as Euskaltel's greatest rider.
-Mayo's win on Alpe d'Huez in 2003. Iban is one of my all-time favorite riders.
-Mayo and Zubeldia's 2003 Tour performances
-Laiseka's Tour win in 2001 was the team's biggest win up to that point
-Igor Anton's "almost" Vuelta win in 2008 before his unfortunate crash. He was destroying his competition and rising to the expectations that many of us had for him. He would never reach those heights again.
-Amet Txurruka's relentless attacking. I'm happy that he finally got that win that he deserved unfortunately it was not while wearing the Euskaltel orange.

 

[Netserk]

I bought my Orbea because of Iban Mayo and Haimar Zubeldia's 2003 Tour performances. They opened my eyes to their passionate cycling region and I've been a avid follower of their team ever since. As has been stated previously, it's a very sad day. I'll try to reflect on the good times:

-Samu winning the Olympic gold was one of my happiest days in watching sports. With Olympic gold, his Tour podium, Tour KoM classification and Vuelta/classic podiums means that Samu will go down as Euskaltel's greatest rider.
-Mayo's win on Alpe d'Huez in 2003. Iban is one of my all-time favorite riders.
-Mayo and Zubeldia's 2003 Tour performances
-Laiseka's Tour win in 2001 was the team's biggest win up to that point
-Igor Anton's "almost" Vuelta win in 2008 before his unfortunate crash. He was destroying his competition and rising to the expectations that many of us had for him. He would never reach those heights again.
-Amet Txurruka's relentless attacking. I'm happy that he finally got that win that he deserved unfortunately it was not while wearing the Euskaltel orange.

I think you mean Vuelta podium + 2010

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think you mean Vuelta podium + 2010

Samu does have a Tour podium to his name though

 

[Netserk]

Samu does have a Tour podium to his name though

Pic or it didn't happen

 

[The Hitch]

We will not see a team go berserk in the Vuelta, rather I predict riders will be trying of get as many points as possible.

Just like everyone was going to go beserk in the tour right

 

[Arnout]

That is such a shame.
I love Euskaltel - if I ever truly supported a team as a whole, it's always been them.

Lets deal with reality though - they ****ing sucked. Consistently and thoroughly sucked. They had good riders, who could win stages and whatnot - but as a TEAM, they have been a complete disgrace for quite a while.

TTT's aren't everything, but it's telling to view their recent TTT record outside Spain ( where they occasionally did less than embarrass themselves )

Tour 2013 – 21/22
Giro 2013 – 22/23
Tirreno-Adriatico 2013 – 22/22
Eneco 2012 – 20/21
Giro 2012 – 22/22
Tirreno-Adriatico 2012 – 21/22
Tour 2011 – 22/22
Giro 2011 – 23/23

That's just ****ing ridiculous. Granted they were often mostly spindly grimpeurs, but so are many other outfits who didn't get crushed by every wildcard pro-conti team every single time.
Eternally scattered randomly around the peloton, they weren't a team - just a bunch of guys who happened to be wearing the same jersey. Which is odd, when one considers their ethnocentric philosophy.
I blame the staff/management - they had good talent but something very wrong in their set up.

I am genuinely upset at the demise of this genuinely awful team.

They do this on purpose to entertain cycling forums.

Igor González de Galdeano killed this team almost single-handedly.

This so much. Basically a struggle for power between him and Madariaga, which GdG won at the expense of the team.

 

[The Hitch]

That is such a shame.
I love Euskaltel - if I ever truly supported a team as a whole, it's always been them.

Lets deal with reality though - they ****ing sucked. Consistently and thoroughly sucked. They had good riders, who could win stages and whatnot - but as a TEAM, they have been a complete disgrace for quite a while.

TTT's aren't everything, but it's telling to view their recent TTT record outside Spain ( where they occasionally did less than embarrass themselves )

Tour 2013 – 21/22
Giro 2013 – 22/23
Tirreno-Adriatico 2013 – 22/22
Eneco 2012 – 20/21
Giro 2012 – 22/22
Tirreno-Adriatico 2012 – 21/22
Tour 2011 – 22/22
Giro 2011 – 23/23

That's just ****ing ridiculous. Granted they were often mostly spindly grimpeurs, but so are many other outfits who didn't get crushed by every wildcard pro-conti team every single time.
Eternally scattered randomly around the peloton, they weren't a team - just a bunch of guys who happened to be wearing the same jersey. Which is odd, when one considers their ethnocentric philosophy.
I blame the staff/management - they had good talent but something very wrong in their set up.

I am genuinely upset at the demise of this genuinely awful team.

What, euskaltel did the Giro this year?

 

[pastronef]

one of their best wins

Anton in Bilbao 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=lvcOxquCGgo&t=612

 

[Moviefan1203]

They had some really good riders over the years, but they simply didn't have the financial backing to survive in today's world of cycling. This is a good thing for the former Euskaltel-Euskadi riders. They can go to teams who have more money to play with.

 

[Archibald]

thank god we will have fewer crashes in the group tempo part of each stage taking out contenders.

oh, come on, this was a golden moment - although, maybe more for who they took out...

tis a pity that they're folding and not just dropping back to pro-conti or even just conti...
now the only orange we'll see in the pyrenees will be the dutch
sad time for cycling, this is

 

[Boeing]

oh, come on, this was a golden moment - although, maybe more for who they took out...

tis a pity that they're folding and not just dropping back to pro-conti or even just conti...
now the only orange we'll see in the pyrenees will be the dutch
sad time for cycling, this is

The whole Basque influence is a big part of Cycling history and tradition So much regional heritage between Alps and Pyrenees and French Spanish border. it is sad and my comment was a bit out of line although

It just seemed like every pile up had the color orange in it

 

[ingsve]

Eventhough they will be missed in the mountains I still think it's for the best that they are gone. Since the formation of the World Tour and the mandatory participation in all events I feel that they have taken up spots in certain races that could be better spent by other teams. In my opinion WT status should only be given to teams that have a well-rounded enough team to be somewhat competitive in all races on the WT calender.

I'm also not in favor of teams with a heavy regional focus like Euskaltel and many of the french teams for example. That might have a place in the ProConti or continental level but in the WT I want the teams to be as open as possible and recruit mostly based on talent rather than regionality.

 

[Archibald]

The whole Basque influence is a big part of Cycling history and tradition So much regional heritage between Alps and Pyrenees and French Spanish border. it is sad and my comment was a bit out of line although

It just seemed like every pile up had the color orange in it

I didn't think you were out of line - perfectly valid observation. the "bleeding carrots" nickname wasn't just from a one-off incident...
I wasn't having a go, just attempting to perpetuate the humourous side you presented. I had quite a good laugh when I first saw that particular pile-up while watching the stage - the day had by the RS rider shown just wasn't getting any better

I've always liked Euskaltel - they punch well above their weight constantly and it's fantastic to watch both them and their legions of fans

 

[Billie]

Inaki Isasi finishing third in a Tour de France mass sprint is by far the greatest Euskaltel moment

 

[Arnout]

I didn't think you were out of line - perfectly valid observation. the "bleeding carrots" nickname wasn't just from a one-off incident...
I wasn't having a go, just attempting to perpetuate the humourous side you presented. I had quite a good laugh when I first saw that particular pile-up while watching the stage - the day had by the RS rider shown just wasn't getting any better

I've always liked Euskaltel - they punch well above their weight constantly and it's fantastic to watch both them and their legions of fans

Oh yes? Show me one crash they were involved in this year? This myth is almost as persistent as the myth about the superiority of German tanks in World War 2

 

[movingtarget]

I will miss seeing the jerseys but their results have been getting continuously worse. Something had to give. Kudos to the sponsors for hanging around as long as they did. RIP Carrots.

 

[Descender]

Too bad. I was curious to see how much longer they could go without winning anything of significance.

So long. Next.

 

[Broth3r]

Igor González de Galdeano killed this team almost single-handedly.

Indeed. God I hate that man with a passion. Everything he touches turns to ****. And no, I still haven't forgotten what he did to Azevedo.

 

[pastronef]

I still haven't forgotten what he did to Azevedo.

what did he do?

 

[ingsve]

Oh yes? Show me one crash they were involved in this year? This myth is almost as persistent as the myth about the superiority of German tanks in World War 2

Gustav Larsson on swedish eurosport: "It's often you go round a corner and find an Euskaltel rider on the ground".

 

[trevim]

Oh well let's have this as a memorial thread:

Nieve's epicness in the Giro. One of the best stages I've ever seen with a great final.

 

[Arnout]

Gustav Larsson on swedish eurosport: "It's often you go round a corner and find an Euskaltel rider on the ground".

Many cyclists: "I never used doping".

How much value do you put on an opinion of a random cyclist compared to empirical facts?

 

[Billie]

Greatest carrot ever