Under-23 World Champion joins four new members of Basque team in Adelaide
Romain Sicard (France) (Image credit: Sirotti)
Romain Sicard, the reigning Under-23 world road champion, will lead a host of Euskaltel-Euskadi riders due to make their ProTour debut with the team at the Tour Down Under, January 19-24.
Biciclismo reports that the 21-year-old Frenchman will travel to South Australia with Jonathan Castroviejo, Daniel Sesma, Gorka Izagirre and Miguel Mínguez, who have all recently signed with the Basque squad.
Three-year Euskaltel-Euskadi veteran Iban Velasco will be the longest-serving member of the team in Adelaide. Mikel Nieve will complete the list of seven riders to compete for Euskaltel-Euskadi at the opening race of the 2010 ProTour calendar.
Sicard's first ProTour race will come some seven months after he agreed to ride with the Basque team. Sicard signed his contract for next season in July, three months before he won the overall title at the Tour de l'Avenir and the Under-23 road world title in Mendrisio, Switzerland.
The six-stage Tour Down Under begins on January 19, although it will be proceeded two days earlier by the Cancer Council Helpline Classic circuit race.
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