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.
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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.
I doubt it.El Pistolero said: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
hrotha said:I doubt it.
craig1985 said:
yourwelcome said:Ouch. Hope the team pulls through and Euskaltel remains the major sponsor, they've become part of the mountainous landscape for me.
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.
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.
jens_attacks said:seems like they will be named EUSKALTEL-FESTINA next year???
festina back as sponsor after 12 years,that's great news!!
source:equipe
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Arnout said:Why, if they meet the criteria to be in the World Tour?