Contentpolis-Murcia starts racing

By Antonio J. Salmerón

New Spanish Professional Continental team Contentpolis-Murcia will have its first race at the Clásica de Almeria this Sunday, February 24. The team is managed by Ginés García, who was responsible for the national team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. García is predicting a long and fruitful endeavour. After getting full economic support of the regional governments of Murcia and the city of Murcia, the riders showed off their clothing to Cyclingnews for the first time, just ahead of the race.

The team will take the start in the Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana on February 26, at Sagunto. A week later it will participate in its home race, the Vuelta a Murcia, which takes place from March 4 to 8. That race "is very special for us, for being at home and where our sponsors are," García stressed. Contentpolis-Murcia will be led by Manuel Vázquez, Adrián Palomares (who beat Alessandro Petacchi in the final stage of the Regio Tour last year) and Julián Sánchez Pimienta. Additionally, there will be the young hope Oleg Chuzhda, Ukrainian U23 time trial champion and José Herrada, who won a stage in the Tour de l'Avenir last year. Other strong riders are Javier Etxarri, Eloy Teruel and Sergio Domínguez. Teruel, in his third year as a professional, is a specialist in the race against the clock. Jesús Buendía and José Carlos López complete the team.

One of the goals was "to participate in the Vuelta a Andalucía, but eventually the bureaucratic hurdles prevented this plan. At any rate, we will be there for the Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana and we will offer an impeccable look from the team car to the clothing," concluded García.