Euskadi lives on with Continental squad

Despite seeing the Euskadi-Euskatel WorldTour team fold at the end of 2013 having been unable to secure sponsors, team manager Miguel Madariaga, a graduate of the original Basque squad when it started in 1994, secured the Continental Euskadi team continued in 2014. The Euskadi squad was set up and run at Continental level by Madariaga as a completely different entity to the WorldTour team at the beginning of 2013.

The team has scheduled a series of group training rides from the 17-19 March in preparation for the home race, Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco which starts on April 7, a race that Samuel Sanchez won overall in 2012. In addition to the training sessions, the team led by Madariaga and Gorka Gerrikagoitia, presented several jerseys signed by all its members to the highest authorities of the country.

"We are the team of the Basque Country and with this tour, we want to link the territories in a symbolic way. During these three days we will explore riding in Bilbao Bizkaia, Araba, and return to the Navarra Arantzazu Sanctuary, Gipuzkoa, a place we were born 21 years ago," Madariaga said.

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"For us it is an honour to be welcomed into Lehendakaritza and carry proudly the name of Euskadi on the jersey, it is a privilege, but also a lot of responsibility. There is plenty effort behind this project and these facilities make us look forward and motivate us to keep working, "said the President of the Euskatel Foundation.

"Cycling in Euskadi has seen better days and with this type of action we want to put it back in the foreground and it has always been identified with these colours and we want to return that love. We need everyone's support to keep going and we are going to ride past many Basque towns and we’ve received many tokens of affection. [These] Eleven kids deserve it," said Madariaga.