Euskaltel heads to Volta with Mayo as leader

By Martin Hardie

Led by Iban Mayo, Euskaltel-Euskadi will line up with a block of eight riders for the 85th Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. It will be Mayo's first race since the Klasika Primavera a month and half ago. Julian Gorospe will direct the team, which along with Mayo, will be composed of Iker Flores, Gorka González, Iñaki Isasi, Aketza Peña, Aitor Sillóniz, Joseba Zubeldia and Egoi Martínez.

It will be Martinez first race since the fall that caused him to retire from the Vuelta Pais Vasco in April. The Volta will be the 13th test of the Pro Tour calendar, being run concurrently with the second week of the Giro. The Volta, which starts on Monday May 16 and runs till Sunday, features an attractive route, including a 20km team time trial as its opening stage, a mountain finish in the high Pyrenees of Pal on the fourth stage and a 17km cronoescalada (mountain time trial).