Karpin-Galicia becomes Xacebeo

The Spanish team Karpin-Galicia will become Xacobeo-Galicia beginning with the Vuelta a España, and continuing on for the 2009 season. The newly-named squad became the latest in a series of teams to find new sponsorship during the 2008 season. CSC, High Road and Slipstream all secured new title sponsors (Saxo Bank, Columbia Sportswear and Garmin, respectively) prior to the Tour de France.

The UCI Professional Continental squad earned its Vuelta invite with sound results over the past two seasons which included a fifth place overall for Ezequiel Mosquera in last year's race. Since that time, the squad has won the Volta a Cataluñya ProTour race with Gustavo César Veloso, the Presidential Tour of Turkey with David Garcia Dapena, a stage of the Basque Tour with David Herrero Llorente, and the Clasica de Alcobendas with Mosquera.

According to AS.com, the businessman Valery Karpin withdrew his support of the team after a conflict with Galician politicians which affected his real estate investment business. The team's press release stated only that Karpin will end its contract with the squad at the end of December.

The Xacobeo-Galicia team will unveil its new jersey at a formal presentation of the new sponsor on Tuesday August 26, coinciding with the introduction of the team members who will participate in the Vuelta.