Burgos-BH ready for move into Pro-Continental ranks

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Spanish Continental team Burgos-BH has applied for a Pro-Continental license and announced its first 14-riders for the 2018 season. Starting in 2006 under the Viña Magna–Cropu name, the team has steadily grown and internationalized.

Burgos-BH has bolstered its roster for its first season in the Pro-Continental division with the addition of WorldTour riders Matvey Mamykin (Katusha-Alpecin) and Bora-Hansgrohe duo Jose Mendes and Silvio Herklotz.

The team has also added Diego Rubio (Caja Rural) and Jordi Simon (Funvic Brasil) from the Pro-Continental ranks, and Jesus Ezquerra (Sporting Tavira), and Nicolas Sessler (Lizarte) from the Continental level. Victor Langellotti has also been added after impressing the level at club level with UC Monaco.

Mamykin, 22, brings Grand Tour experience to the squad having twice ridden the Vuelta a Espana and one Giro d'Italia during his two years with Katusha-Alpecin. The Russian was 24th on his Vuelta debut and provides Burgos-BH with a GC option for stage races. Mendes, a former Portuguese national champion, also brings experience having ridden with the Bora-Hansgrohe team since 2012. During his time with the German team, the 32-year-old rode all three Grand Tours and six monuments. Herklotz, a German U23 road race champion, has shown promise as a young rider since joining Team Stölting in 2013. The 23-year-old joins Bora teammate Mendes at Burgos-BH and is likely to have opportunities to pursue his own results.

From the 2017 Burgos-BH roster, Pablo Torres, Jorge Cubero, Igor Merino, Ibai Salas, Alvaro Robredo and Dani Lopez have had their contracts renewed. The team is also reportedly in negotiations with Adrian Gonzalez (Murias) and Eduard Prades (Caja Rural) to finale a 16-rider roster. There is no place on the team for 34-year-old David Belda, the winner of Vuelta a Castilla y Leon and Vuelta Ciclista a León, who has been with the team since 2011.

Burgos-BH has just one winner so far in 2017 via Torres' stage and overall win at the 2.2 Tour de Gironde Cycliste International. The challenge for the team run by Julio Andrés Izquierdo is to secure a wildcard invite to the Vuelta a Espana.

While Movistar remains Spain's only WorldTour team, Burgos-BH will join Caja Rural-Seguros RGA as the country's representatives in the Pro-Continental ranks.