Euskatel-Euskadi Team Thread

Ok - here is the distinctive team jersey for you to display proudly!!

Also... attached is the spreadsheet for tracking the challenge... already set up with each team member and any commitments made to date.  

don't forget your red leicester:

Euskaltel

Monday July 2, 2007

Guardian

Translates as Basque Tel, who is not a bloke from Bilbao called Terry but, in fact, some sort of telecommunications company. The team hires only Basque cyclists and management.

Tour heritage

Their followers rather than their results have made a mark. Since 1994 hundreds of thousands of orange-clad fans have turned up each year in the Pyrénées to cheer on their boys. They are blessed by the Bishop of the Vizcaya region each year before they set off to the Tour - but as the team have managed only two stage wins they might need to find a new tradition.

Past controversies

Had the first rider to test positive for EPO in the Tour Txema del Olmo in 2001, and two riders over the blood-thickness limit.

In the coffers

£4m, which could buy a can of paint from the entire Dulux orange palette from Fire Cracker to Expresso Delight and still have change for a round of Oranginas.

The boss

Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano finished fifth in the 2001 and 2002 Tours. He enjoyed a fine reputation but it was marred when he tested positive - under French but not international doping criteria - for the asthma medicine salbutamol.

Team leader

Nominally the ageing climber Haimar Zubeldia but more likely to be the youthful climber Igor Antón, winner of a tough mountain stage in last year's Tour of Spain. Their best rider, the one-day specialist Samuel Sanchez, is staying at home in July.

Wild man of the saddle

Basques do not do wild stuff on their bikes. They make up for it in manly ways when back at home, though, with strongman contests, pelota matches, the consumption of whole barrels of cider and no doubt a spot of thoroughly metrosexual bromance.

They'll be happy with ...

After a disappointing spring they need a mountain stage win, probably from Antón, ideally in the Pyrénées in front of their fans.

Fans will paint on the road

"Igor the engine-room"; "Basque in the limelight"

William Fotheringham predicts

Will bomb, even though the hopes of a small, proud nation ride on their shoulders.

If they were cheese... Red Leicester

Noted and admired for that distinctive orange colouring. Knows where its roots are but it's a long way off being a favourite when compared with the big cheeses. The weaknesses are clear: put it under sustained pressure and it starts to crack. Also a bit nutty.

Based Bilbao, Spain

Bike Orbea frame, Shimano wheels

Jerseys Etxe Ondo

Team leader Haimar Zubeldia (Sp, age 30. 6 Tours, 0 stage wins. Best 5th, 2003)

Climbers Igor Antón (Sp, 23), Rubén Pérez (Sp, 25), Amets Txurruka (Sp, 24)

Sprinter Iñaki Isasi (Sp, 30)

Time-triallists Andoni Aranaga (Sp, 28), Mikel Astarloza (Sp, 27), Jorge Azanza (Sp, 25), Gorka Verdugo (Sp, 28)

Puncheurs Aitor Galdos (Sp, 27), Iñigo Landaluze (Sp, 30)

Team manager Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano

Team founded 1994

Tours de France entered 6

Stage wins 2

King of Mountains

2006 best 9th, Haimar Zubeldia

2006 stage wins

ProTour ranking 16th

Website fundacioneuskadi.com

Hello Team Euskatel-

Jim here....looking forward to the TdF and the TdF challenge.  I am one of the (brave or foolish...you choose) souls who will be riding every day of the Tour.  21 rides including the prologue.  I will be attempting to ride flats of "plain" days, hills on "mountain" stages and trainer rides on "TT" days.  As a fail safe, I will be on the trainer for at least 15 minutes every morning while I am watching the Tour on Versus.....

I am riding an Orbea these days and is the reason I picked E-E as my team.  Also, my 14-year old daughter says that the orange jerseys are the bomb.

Looking forward to meeting you all this month and celebrating our challenge win on the 29th!

Cheers!

 Jim

P.S. What's with the red cheese? 

If they were cheese... Red Leicester

Noted and admired for that distinctive orange colouring. Knows where its roots are but it's a long way off being a favourite when compared with the big cheeses. The weaknesses are clear: put it under sustained pressure and it starts to crack. Also a bit nutty.

that's what's with the red cheese. anyhow i'm off to see my fellow emmental'ers. 

Hey Everyone!

I'm Bob and am in for 12 stages.  Most of my riding is rolling slopes on a Rails to Trails crushed limestone trail.  Anything other than that is all hills - that's all there is here!  This is my first year doing tri's so I have a mountain bike - for now!

Hi team,

I'm Lacey.  I'm in for 10 rides....should be interesting!  Makes me wish I had a trainer and then I know I could do more.  I have my first tri coming up on the 15th, so I still plan to ride lots until then but reducing the time/distance so I don't have sore legs on race day.  I love my long rides (well long for me anyway...1-1.5 hours) but I'm usually sore for a few days afterwards.  Anyway, the 15th is the only race I have planned for the summer so back to long rides after that.  Looking forward to this challenge!

Go team!

I'm Jennifer!  Glad to be part of the team!

The crucial thing is how many stages I guess...only 10 for me.  I have a lot on my plate the next few weeks including driving to Alabama.  So, ten would be awesome.

Okie dokie...that's all for now.  

Hi everyone,

I am Gina and will post 12 rides during this time. I am being conservative with that number due to upcoming travel. If I can squeeze more in, will that represent more than 100%? Or do you cap at 100%?

Looking forward to our group's progress. Love the orange but that cheese looks awful!!

Hi everyone.  I'm Keith and I'm in for 10 rides.  My weekend rides will be longer and I'll get 2 in during the week.  I've got a rainer so I can always squeeze one if need be.  I ride a Blue Trek 1200 but I dig orange.  I need a new jersey so maybe I can find an orange one.

 This is going to be fun!

Hey - just responding to this - you will need to nominate/volunteer a team leader to collect the rides each week.  

While you sissies were sleeping, looks like someone from barlo rode by and took a quick swim in your kiddie pool...

Oh, and by the way...

(good luck  getting your a$$ kicked in the challenge everyone).

I'm planning to get 38 miles in tomorrow morning starting at 7 AM.  I'm riding the course for my September Tri.  Hope veryone has a great weekend.

Safe riding...

Hi Team,

Just thought that with the prologue only less than 24 hours away it might be a good idea to let the team know about your pro team counter parts for the Tour De France.

The Euskatel-Euskadi team is unique, its supportors are incredibly vocal and line the Pyranees making it an often scary ascent for the riders not wearing bright orange. Its support comes from the Basque region of Spain where Euskatel-Euskadi is the unofficial
regional team.

 The Spanish Riders representing the Team in 2007 are:

-Igor Anton Hernandez

-Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau

 - Jorge Azanza Soto

- Inaki Isasi Flores 

- Inigo Landaluze Intxaurraga

- Ruben Perez Moreno 

- Amets Tzurruka

- Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui

- Haimar Zubeldia Agirre

The team leader for the tour is rider Zubeldia who is one of the most consistent riders on  the team with numerous top 10 placings in the Tour. He is a consistent and continuous climber with his higest ever placing in the event a 5th in 2003.

I hope that this helps you get an idea of the team you are aligned with and will make it fun to get behind your team! And that is interesting!

I will pop in and let you know how the team is going (if you are interested) as I will be watching all of the stages live (10pm - 2/3am so need to stay awake).

Hope you all have a great challenge

Cat 

I second any motion to elect a ride leader as long as it's not me   When do we start reporting?

I am riding with a group tomorrow and am planning a early Sunday ride too...both pending weather. Fingers crossed for no rain!

Well Im definatley NOT the one to ask about the cheese!!!!

But hope you enjoy the challenge  

Do you want to be team leader?  If not, I'll go ahead and do it.  Our first order of business would have to be to put a stick in Josh's wheels.

Anyone else notice our team name is misspelled?  Should be Euskaltel!

I had a mishap today with my bike.  I realized I lost my 2nd key to my lock on Thursday!  That meant I had to bag today's ride, but also means as soon as I cut it away from the bike rack on my car I can ride tomorrow morning for the first leg!

Sorry the spelling is my problem!!!!! I knew Id get something wrong!!! Took awhile for everyone to figure it out though.....