Former Tour de France yellow jersey to leave post at the end of the year for “new challenges”
Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano is to leave his post as general manager of Euskaltel-Euskadi at the end of the year to direct his career towards “new challenges”, according to a statement. The Basque, who turned professional with Euskaltel-Euskadi in 1995, rejoined the team after his retirement at the end of 2005; after serving as a director sportif he took over as the team’s general manager in 2010.
“The only thing I have asked Igor is to stay in office until the end of this season,” said Miguel Madariaga, the president of the Fundacion Euskadi. “Igor will explaine the causes and reasons that led him to want to leave his position if he sees fit."
As a rider, Gonzalez de Galdeano finished second in the 1999 Vuelta a España, fifth in the 2001 tour de France, and wore the Tour’s yellow jersey for seven days in 2002. He retired at the relatively young age of 32; he was implicated in Operación Puerto the following year though, but escaped sanction since he was retired at the time and had broken no Spanish laws.
During his time at the head of Euskaltel-Euskadi, the team has had a number of successes, from riders including Olympic champion Samuel Sánchez – who finished fourth in the 2010 Tour de France, and took a stage and the mountains jersey in this year’s race – and Igor Antón – who came close to winning last year’s Vuelta a España, before crashing out while in the lead, and who won the Vuelta stage into Bilbao this year as the race made an emotional return to the team’s Baque region.
“It is not an end to the team, it’s a point that I’m following in my career,” said Gonzalez de Galdeano. “I need new challenges, and this has led to my decision.
“My relationship with Miguel is more than professional, more than President to manager,” he explained, “and this perhaps is the reason that this decision is so difficult.
“It has been six years that have given me unique professional and personal development and training,” he continued. “I am convinced of the technical capacity of the sports directors who have worked at my side in leading this project and I have no doubt of his great future and value.
“Miguel still has a great team and of course, it can always count on my support”