he Euskaltel Euskadi team just completed their first training camp in Derio (Bizkaia) on December 3rd, and have come away with an outline for their 2010 campaign. Igor González de Galdeano, the new general manager for the team said of their Olympic champion, "The main goal of the year for Samuel Sanchez will be the Tour de France. He is a great rider, with quality and experience. He is our leader [for the Tour] and I am very confident in his possibilities.
He added: "Igor Anton showed an encouraging level in the Tour of Spain in 2008 and will look to repeat that performance this season, while Koldo Fernandez de Larrea started the year off strong and we will adapt his schedule to put him in races that will best suit his abilities as a sprinter."
The team has already determined that their first race of the season will be the Santos Tour Down Under in Australia from the 17th to the 24th of January. The team will send Ivan Velasco, Mikel Snow, Jonathan Castroviejo, Daniel Sesma, and Miguel Mínguez Izagirre Gork to look after U23 world champion Romain Sicard during his debut for the team. The seven man squad will be led by Alvaro González de Galdeano, who will be making his first appearance as a sports director for the Euskaltel Euskadi team.
Building on its work for the Orbea Continental team, Alvaro González de Galdeano is the athletic director that will be responsible for working with the younger riders. Gorka Gerrikagoitia will be Igor González de Galdeano's director for the biggest races on the calendar, and will also work with the general manager to organize the equipment. Josu Larrazabal will be the team's physical trainer and also assist the team directors at select races.