Euskaltel-Euskadi Discussion

[Sylvester]

I remember seeing him ride the Vuelta last year

You saw him?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Lotto is the longest-running current sponsorship, but Lotto the current entity in the pro péloton dates back to 1985 (Lotto sponsored a different team in 1984), whereas Abarcá Sports (Reynolds/Banesto/iBanesto.com/Illes Balears/Caisse d'Epargne/Movistar) date back to 1980.

Fundación Euskadi's pro cycling arm dates back to 1994, when it entered the pro péloton as Euskadi-Petronor. Euskaltel have been the title sponsors since 1998.

 

[craig1985]

Let's say if EE were to stop sponsoring the team, are there any companies in the Basque region big enough to take over the sponsorship of the team?

 

[PjotrA]

Let's say if EE were to stop sponsoring the team, are there any companies in the Basque region big enough to take over the sponsorship of the team?

Surely there are a few. BBVA (among the bigger banks in the world for instance). Though they might a bit to occupied with football. They do also own parts (biggest owner?) in Telefonica. Also in the IBEX35 you'll find Gamesa and Iberdrola, both with headquarters in the Basque region.

 

[hrotha]

Surely there are a few. BBVA (among the bigger banks in the world for instance). Though they might a bit to occupied with football. They do also own parts (biggest owner?) in Telefonica. Also in the IBEX35 you'll find Gamesa and Iberdrola, both with headquarters in the Basque region.

Problem is, all those companies are Basque, but they're everywhere and they're so big they don't come across as, uh, specifically Basque, I guess? You become a soulless, world-devourer multinational, you kind of lose any claims to regional identity. That's why Euskaltel works great. Something like Kutxa would do.

 

[PjotrA]

Problem is, all those companies are Basque, but they're everywhere and they're so big they don't come across as, uh, specifically Basque, I guess? You become a soulless, world-devourer multinational, you kind of lose any claims to regional identity. That's why Euskaltel works great. Something like Kutxa would do.

BBVA, great basque banking succes (don't know how they do right now) for the great basque cycling success. Shows the world the basques are the top.

But seriously, I understand your point, and agree (even though a team with Amets Txurruka could never bedvome soulless). Still, BBVA-Euskadi would be better than no Euskadi.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Kutxa would be good, or BBK for its Bizkaian alternative. Ipar Kutxa also (plus they would create some delightfully lurid jerseys).

Naturgas Energia sponsor one of the Fundación Euskadi amateur teams and could perhaps be persuaded to step the sponsorship up to the next level, Petronor is a possibility (they sponsored the team when they first appeared in the pro péloton, of course, but likely their commitment to Athletic Bilbao is more than enough exposure for them.

 

[uphillstruggle]

No one saved Kelme and they where the godfathers of stupid attacks in the mountain, before Euskaltal even got to ride te Tour. I remember a stage somewhere in the 90's four Kelme riders where sort of chasing each other, apparently with no cooperation whatsoever. I see Euskaltel as the natural replacement for Kelme (which was the longest team and sponsor at that time).

That's the problem though. There will always be teams who's natural inclination is to attack when it's probably not going to work but its great to watch even if if fails. The new focus on world tour points is going to kill this kind of riding off and replace it with conservative hand on to top ten GC riding that is dull as dish water to watch.

The other thing I like about EE is how the seem so happy to work as a team. there is no riding against each other. I may be romanticising them but they appear like a bang of brothers happy to sacrifice themselves for each other. .

 

[Ferminal]

Bump for JSG:

Uncertain future for Euskaltel team; decision expected by next May/June whether to continue beyond 2012. (L'Equipe)

 

[just some guy]

Bump for JSG:

Thanks - maybe we can start a campaign now to let the Basque region sponsors we want, no need EE to remain in the peloton

 

[El Pistolero]

He wasn't scheduled to ride the Tour, but he expected a change of plans after his good spring results. Euskaltel chose to stick to their original plans and have Beñat ride the Vuelta instead. He was upset and his performance after his break was abysmal. To be honest I was surprised to see Beñat get back in form this year, I thought he was a good-for-nothing diva.

Didn't he witness the death of a close friend of him?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Didn't he witness the death of a close friend of him?

Not when he was racing for Euskaltel, which is what hrotha was talking about.

I don't think anybody could or would blame him for his form in the second half of this season suffering. His doomed quest to simply finish the Tour de France was a story in and of itself.

 

[Euskaltel!]

In the interest of being Basque and designing great jerseys... I think the obvious sponsor is: KUKUXUMUSU!

 

[Parrulo]

fact
EE will never die!!!!

 

[craig1985]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/anton-may-skip-giro-ditalia-in-2012

So unless Nieve is going to lead the team at the Giro, they will be forced to ride with a bunch of guys that just won't offer that much to the race. Hell I would take Coldeportes over an Euskaltel line-up at the Giro minus Fuji and Nieve (assuming Samu is just going to do the Tour again). I like Euskaltel as much as the next man and his dog but I don't want them at the race with just their neo-pro's. Too bad the only person who can't see this is Pat McQuaid.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So unless Nieve is going to lead the team at the Giro, they will be forced to ride with a bunch of guys that just won't offer that much to the race. Hell I would take Coldeportes over an Euskaltel line-up at the Giro minus Fuji and Nieve (assuming Samu is just going to do the Tour again). I like Euskaltel as much as the next man and his dog but I don't want them at the race with just their neo-pro's. Too bad the only person who can't see this is Pat McQuaid.

 

[jens_attacks]

top ten for astarloza and stage win

 

[hrotha]

top ten for astarloza and stage win

Yeah, because Astarloza was definitely a winner.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yeah, because Astarloza was definitely a winner.

He offered plenty to races though, in his increasingly desperate pursuit of the elusive win.

 

[maltiv]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/anton-may-skip-giro-ditalia-in-2012

So unless Nieve is going to lead the team at the Giro, they will be forced to ride with a bunch of guys that just won't offer that much to the race. Hell I would take Coldeportes over an Euskaltel line-up at the Giro minus Fuji and Nieve (assuming Samu is just going to do the Tour again). I like Euskaltel as much as the next man and his dog but I don't want them at the race with just their neo-pro's. Too bad the only person who can't see this is Pat McQuaid.

I think they'll send Nieve to the Giro as a captain (statistically, he has a 66,7% chance of winning the queen stage and a 100% chance to end up in the top 11!) and probably to the TDF too as a super-domestique for Sanchez.

 

[Kvinto]

imo it would be clever to send Astarloza and Nieve to Giro and save Anton for March-April races. he (Anton) will surely get more points there (it is the main issue for Euskaltel i guess) - Catalunya, Ardennes, Romandia (which i read is one of his favourite races), maybe Pais Vasco and Paris-Nice as a co-captain, it would be good for both Anton and the team.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Then they can hold Nieve back for the Vuelta, and perhaps have Astarloza and Egoi Martínez as the main guys to watch Samu's back at the Tour. I don't expect Astarloza to be as good as he was, but he can be an effective domestique and stagehunter (probably without much success as usual). He's not exactly a great guy for one-day races so they can probably send him to the Giro with minimal tuneup time, perhaps domestiquing at País Vasco and Romandie, so that he can do both GTs back to back, one as a co-captain and the other as a domestique. Samu and Antón are obvious choices to lead the hilly classics, and more than likely Samu will lead País Vasco as he's their best shot at winning it. Antón can then come back at San Sebastián and Burgos, maybe to back up Samu if he's still holding form, and tune up for the Vuelta.

Mikel Landa could possibly have a free role at the Giro too to see what his recovery is like, since it's obviously the #3 GT for Euskaltel, or they might hold him back to help at the Vuelta.

 

[Kvinto]

yep, Samu will do the Pais Vasco as the only leader again, will top-10 agian and will not win again

 

[Libertine Seguros]

yep, Samu will do the Pais Vasco as the only leader again, will top-10 agian and will not win again

Probably. But that doesn't necessarily mean that that isn't their best chance of winning it though, just that he has hitherto not been able to.

 

[Kvinto]

Probably. But that doesn't necessarily mean that that isn't their best chance of winning it though, just that he has hitherto not been able to.

He is their main chance of winning it, it was just an irony hinting on the Ardennes which are made for him. But he constantly builds his spring around Pais Vasco, fails to win it somehow and then does Ardennes on "what's left".