New Continental team for Spain

A new Spanish Continental team sponsored by construction company Nicolás Mateos Group and a subsidiary of ProTour team Saunier Duval will be presented on December 20 in Murcia City. The team, which originates from the Murcia region, aims to be a ProTour team in the near future, and young construction magnate Nicolás Mateos is confident the team can succeed in their ambitions for the top echelons of pro cycling. "We aspire to be in the UCI ProTour in a brief amount of time," said Mateos.

The Mateos Group has given the team two years to become a ProTour team, which coincides with the withdrawal of Saunier Duval as a sponsor of that particular squad. The two teams share both sporting and media infrastructure, and Saunier Duval-Prodir boss Joxean Fernández 'Matxin' has suggested the two teams be presented jointly on December 20, such are the links between them.

Spanish cycling is highly regionalised, with this latest development seen as a plus for cycling in the Murcia region. González Savior, head of rider acquisitions at the squad and manager of Alejandro Valverde, recognised that, "certain difficulties exist before the advanced creation of another of Murcia team can occur," and alluded to the hard work by team management to organise everything in the time limit stipulated.

Members of the team include young riders Javier Benítez, Pedro de Pedro, Javier Moreno and Víctor García, with a focus on 'future and quality' in terms of rider selection. Mateos has criticised the Murcia Government for not supporting the team but is confident this new venture can compensate for their lack of support.