By Antonio J. Salmerón
Manolo Sáiz's Würth team - formerly known as Liberty-Seguros - Würth -- will wear white team strip for the Euskal Bizikleta stage race, which starts today. Joseba Beloki will lead the troubled squad, which lost its main sponsor last week after Sáiz was arrested in the Spanish 'Operation Puerto' doping investigation.
The three other Spanish ProTour teams, Illes Balears-Caisse, Saunier Duval-Prodir and Euskaltel Euskadi will also start the Euskal Bizikleta, along with the full complement of Spanish Professional Continental teams: 3 Molinos Resort Murcia Turística, Relax-Gam, Orbea, Spiuk and Andalucia Paul Versan, plus the Nicolás Mateos continental team.
However, the Nicolás Mateos squad will be without its star rider, 2004 individual pursuit world champion Sergi Escobar. Escobar was hit by a motorbike while training on May 22 and is not sufficiently recovered to be able to race.
Other European teams lined up for Euskal Bizikleta include France's Agritubel, which will be led by Alberto Martínez; the Italian Acqua & Sapone and 3C Casalinghi Jet Androni Giocattoli teams; the Swiss LPR and the British-registered, Italian-managed Team Barloworld which will feature Peio Arreitunandia and Félix Cárdenas.
Stage 1 - May 31: Eibar - Arrigorriaga 165.5 km
Stage 2 - June 1: Arrigorriaga - Ispaster, 174 km
Stage 3 - June 2: Ispaster - Gatzaga, 190.9 km
Stage 4a - June 3: Leintz Gatzaga - Agurain, 84.1 km
Stage 4b - June 3: Agurain - Agurain ITT, 21.2 km
Stage 5 - June 4: ETB (Iurreta) - Arrate (Eibar), 157.5 km
