Euskaltel reactions on Etxebarria victory

By Monika Prell

The whole team of Euskaltel-Euskadi is relieved by the victory of the veteran of the team, Unai Etxebarria, who won the last challenge of the Volta a Mallorca, exactly the same race he won also in 2004.

Miguel Madariaga, the General Manager of the team, is very satisfied. "We have found our way," he affirmed in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Correo. "We had one rider in every escaping group; in every attempt. That is what was asked of by our sponsors. To act. To be united. To show collectively. And those things we are actually doing."

Director Sportif Jon Odriozola gave his opinion on the Volta a Mallorca on the team's homepage, fundacioneuskadi.com, saying, "We were present on every stage, we were very active. Ivan Mayoz escaped during two stages, Alan Pérez on another, today [the final stage - ed.] Beñat Albizuri and Antton Luengo were present, and we had Koldo Fernández ahead in the first day's sprint."

He affirmed that "tactically we have always been at the right place ..." He considered the victory as "a merited and hard worked prize." Odriozola continued that "beginning the season with a victory by one of the most emblematic riders of the team is very important."

Unai Etxebarria himself explained that "the triumph is very important. We are beginning the season and already achieved one victory, this will give us tranquillity and confidence." The fact that he won the same challenge in 2004 he considered as "anecdotal compared with the importance of this victory for the team."