• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Euskaltel Issues - where will they go?

Page 3 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
craig1985

craig1985

May 6, 2009
8,522
1
0
Visit site
We so need somebody on here to win the Euro Millions lottery and use a small part of the massive jackpot to keep the team going. The last people that won the Euro Millions got £101m.
 
El Pistolero

El Pistolero

Jul 16, 2010
17,455
5
0
Visit site
Libertine Seguros said:
I think they limit the signing of non-Basques to those from Fundación Euskadi-linked teams (presently that consists of Naturgas Energía as the main one, with the satellite teams of Bidelan-Kirolgi and Debabarrena in Gipuzkoa and Koplad-Uni2 in Bizkaia. They'll happily take riders from non-aligned teams like Cafés Baqué and Seguros Bilbao, but I think they'd more than likely limit those riders to Basques. I don't think they've taken any non-Basques from other teams' feeders such as Lizarte (Movistar's main feeder team) in a while (though they did get Joseba Beloki from them!) or the old Iberdrola-Loinaz (ONCE/Liberty Seguros feeder) team, otherwise you'd see Euskaltel have no qualms about picking up people like Contador, Joaquím Rodríguez or Xavier Florencio, but those aren't riders Euskaltel have shown any interest in pursuing.

So yea, I think they limit themselves in that respect to Basques in any amateur team, aligned or non-aligned (though the Basque-Navarrese is probably the biggest amateur scene in the country), and non-Basques only in Fundación Euskadi-aligned amateur teams.
Click to expand...

They're smart enough to realize they don't have the money for that(and keep their best Basque cyclists at the same time). If Contador came knocking on their door to sign with them for a salary of 800.000 Euros, they'd sign him in a heart beat :)
 
Pippo_San

Pippo_San

Sep 2, 2011
2,248
220
11,880
Visit site
yourwelcome said:
Ouch. Hope the team pulls through and Euskaltel remains the major sponsor, they've become part of the mountainous landscape for me.
Click to expand...

Honestly, a team like Euskaltel 2012 has no sense at all in the World Tour.
Sure, the WT is a mess and a farce from many point of views, nonetheless that's the way it is, and Euskaltel in this peculiar form doesn't and shouldn't belong to it.
 
Angliru

Angliru

Mar 10, 2009
9,245
23
17,530
Visit site
Pippo_San said:
Honestly, a team like Euskaltel 2012 has no sense at all in the World Tour.
Sure, the WT is a mess and a farce from many point of views, nonetheless that's the way it is, and Euskaltel in this peculiar form doesn't and shouldn't belong to it.
Click to expand...

If they have the points and meet the requirements why shouldn't they?
 
Arnout

Arnout

Mar 10, 2009
4,703
33
15,530
Visit site
Pippo_San said:
Honestly, a team like Euskaltel 2012 has no sense at all in the World Tour.
Sure, the WT is a mess and a farce from many point of views, nonetheless that's the way it is, and Euskaltel in this peculiar form doesn't and shouldn't belong to it.
Click to expand...

Apart from the cobbled classics they're doing reasonably well in all but a few races this year, to my surprise. I do think the "Euskaltel doesn't belong in WT" is becoming a bit of a natural reaction to the team, but a reaction that's not really justified.

And remember, most teams have a few races in which they don't do anything, it's not limited to the Euskaltel and cobbles example.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gunara
nesocip

nesocip

May 20, 2010
264
0
0
Visit site
Pippo_San said:
Honestly, a team like Euskaltel 2012 has no sense at all in the World Tour.
Sure, the WT is a mess and a farce from many point of views, nonetheless that's the way it is, and Euskaltel in this peculiar form doesn't and shouldn't belong to it.
Click to expand...

Because they dont do well in 3 one day races? They will probably have a top 10 guy in every GT, win stages in at least 2/3 GTs, they won 1 short stage race (with 3 stage wins in it), finished 2nd in another short stage race with a stage win, had top 10 finishes in 2 hilly classics, Nieve at the moment is going very good in another short stage race, they attack whenever the road goes up and provide entertainment for us.

What else is expected to deserve a pro tour spot in your opinion?

So far they are having one of their best seasons, and its not even July yet.
 
Kazistuta

Kazistuta

Mar 19, 2009
1,977
376
11,180
Visit site
nesocip said:
Because they dont do well in 3 one day races? They will probably have a top 10 guy in every GT, win stages in at least 2/3 GTs, they won 1 short stage race (with 3 stage wins in it), finished 2nd in another short stage race with a stage win, had top 10 finishes in 2 hilly classics, Nieve at the moment is going very good in another short stage race, they attack whenever the road goes up and provide entertainment for us.

What else is expected to deserve a pro tour spot in your opinion?

So far they are having one of their best seasons, and its not even July yet.
Click to expand...

I think you're missing the point. Euskaltel would most likely get access to these races despite being ProCont.

I don't think Euskaltel should be part of the WT circus (just as SaxoBank & Ag2r shouldn't be this year, just to be clear), but as long as the WT criterias are the way they are now, I'm not sure we could find another team more deserving of the spot.

The way things are going in pro cycling currently (some major teams with a lot of stars and a lot of smaller teams with smaller budgets), the WT selection criterias don't make any sense.

I would like to have less WT team (= automatic invites) and more wild cards for the organizers to give out. That would mean a team like Euskaltel perhaps wouldn't even apply for wild cards in Paris-Roubaix and Flanders (or most likely wouldn't get one) and other teams with cobble-specialized riders would get an entry instead.
 
D

Dutchsmurf

Jul 5, 2010
943
0
0
Visit site
Almost all WT teams have a few races they just don't belong in. There are many teams that would love to skip the Belgium races. Just like there are teams that shouldn't really go to the Giro. You can't blame Euskaltel for that, it is all part of the system. The whole WT system is a year long qualification for the Tour basically. I rather have Euskaltel riding around completely useless in Paris-Roubaix with guaranteed access to the Tour, than them having to depend on how ASO feels. Who knows, ASO might decide a Chinese team will be better marketing wise than a couple Basks. And from a business point of view they would be right.
 
Arnout

Arnout

Mar 10, 2009
4,703
33
15,530
Visit site
Kazistuta said:
I think you're missing the point. Euskaltel would most likely get access to these races despite being ProCont.

I don't think Euskaltel should be part of the WT circus (just as SaxoBank & Ag2r shouldn't be this year, just to be clear), but as long as the WT criterias are the way they are now, I'm not sure we could find another team more deserving of the spot.

The way things are going in pro cycling currently (some major teams with a lot of stars and a lot of smaller teams with smaller budgets), the WT selection criterias don't make any sense.

I would like to have less WT team (= automatic invites) and more wild cards for the organizers to give out. That would mean a team like Euskaltel perhaps wouldn't even apply for wild cards in Paris-Roubaix and Flanders (or most likely wouldn't get one) and other teams with cobble-specialized riders would get an entry instead.
Click to expand...

That's a different discussion, in my opinion the WT format is flawed too, but there is no reason why they don't fit in the current format.

That said, what team could take the place of Euskaltel in the cobble classics? There wasn't really a major team left out, right? It would be mainly peloton filling anyway.
 
Arnout

Arnout

Mar 10, 2009
4,703
33
15,530
Visit site
Dutchsmurf said:
Almost all WT teams have a few races they just don't belong in. There are many teams that would love to skip the Belgium races. Just like there are teams that shouldn't really go to the Giro. You can't blame Euskaltel for that, it is all part of the system. The whole WT system is a year long qualification for the Tour basically. I rather have Euskaltel riding around completely useless in Paris-Roubaix with guaranteed access to the Tour, than them having to depend on how ASO feels. Who knows, ASO might decide a Chinese team will be better marketing wise than a couple Basks. And from a business point of view they would be right.
Click to expand...

They wouldn't. ASO will always invite Euskaltel as long as it will exist in a somewhat competitive form. They need spectators to fill up the Pyrenees, a quite empty area of France.
 
D

Dutchsmurf

Jul 5, 2010
943
0
0
Visit site
Arnout said:
They wouldn't. ASO will always invite Euskaltel as long as it will exist in a somewhat competitive form. They need spectators to fill up the Pyrenees, a quite empty area of France.
Click to expand...

There are more than enough non Basks to fill up those mountains. And many of those Basks will show up if Euskaltel isn't riding too. ASO is a business and if at one point Chinese money (as example) outweighs extra interest in the Pyrenees, then out goes Euskaltel.
Just look at the Giro. They invited Netapp instead of another Italian team, simply because Netapp offers more from a business point of view.
 
Arnout

Arnout

Mar 10, 2009
4,703
33
15,530
Visit site
Little update on Euskaltel. Unless otherwise needed, the team will continue its Basque only policy (including the Sanchez, Cabedo thing), Festina will most likely join the team, but it is not set in stone yet. But again, as long as it's not needed for WT, they won't change policy. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano will join the team after the year and not during the year as was rumoured.

More details on ibanmayoblog.blogspot.com
 
Pippo_San

Pippo_San

Sep 2, 2011
2,248
220
11,880
Visit site
Arnout said:
Little update on Euskaltel. Unless otherwise needed, the team will continue its Basque only policy (including the Sanchez, Cabedo thing), Festina will most likely join the team, but it is not set in stone yet. But again, as long as it's not needed for WT, they won't change policy. Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano will join the team after the year and not during the year as was rumoured.
Click to expand...

And you ask why a team like this doesn't make any sense in the World Tour?
The right term is ANACHRONISTIC.
Nuff said.
 
nesocip

nesocip

May 20, 2010
264
0
0
Visit site
Pippo_San said:
And you ask why a team like this doesn't make any sense in the World Tour?
The right term is ANACHRONISTIC.
Nuff said.
Click to expand...

I wish we had access to exact team budget data so you would see that they are in top 3 of CQ point / EUR invested ratio as far as WT teams go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom