Under-23 World Champion Romain Sicard (Euskaltel-Euskadi)(Image credit: Sirotti)
Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi) muscles his way up the Mur de Huy.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Euskaltel - Euskadi) took the mountains classification.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Spaniard Beñat Intxausti (Euskaltel - Euskadi) rides to third overall.(Image credit: Susi Goetze for www.cyclinginside.com)
Yes, it's true: Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) is now all business.(Image credit: James Huang)
Romain Sicard has extended his contract with Euskaltel-Euskadi. The 22-year-old from Bayonne will stay with the Basque team until the end of 2012, with an option to extend the deal until 2014. Sicard won the world under-23 road race title and Tour de l’Avenir last year and impressed at the Dauphiné during his debut season as a professional.
“I can keep progressing and maturing as a cyclist here,” said Sicard. “They’ve supported me since I was an amateur at Orbea and I feel very comfortable on this team. It’s one of the best teams in the world and they have confidence in me.”
Euskaltel-Euskadi have also extended the contracts of Igor Anton and Egoi Martinez. Anton took a stage at the Vuelta a Castilla y León this season and is pleased to continue with the orange-clad team. “I am comfortable on the team and they appreciate me and have confidence in my possibilities,” he said.
Martinez echoed his compatriot’s feelings: “I feel that renewing is logical given the style of rider I am. I am a team man," he explained.
One man leaving Euskaltel, however, is Beñat Intxausti. The 24-year-old has announced his departure today. “We have not reached an agreement and for a young rider as me, I think it's better to continue my career with another team, where I can continue my progression,” he said. Intxausti was third at this year’s Tour of the Basque Country and is currently preparing for the Vuelta a Espana.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Karpets has renewed his contract with Katusha for 2011. The Russian put pen to paper at team headquarters in Lonato, Italy yesterday.
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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.
