The Spanish cycling federation, the Real Federación Española de Ciclismo (RFEC), has announced its first pre-selection for the upcoming summer Olympics in Beijing, but emphasized the tentative nature of the list. "In cycling you can never give a closed and definite list," said national selector Francisco Antequera, "because so many things can happen between now and August. But it is certain that participation in the Games requires many bureaucratic proceedings, and for that reason we don't have a lot of room to manoeuvre."
The twelve riders listed were those who passed the first Olympic doping controls after the Vuelta a Valencia and the Vuelta a Murcia. Most of the riders are climbers, whom Antequera favours because "it is the hardest course since I have been the selector." Spain will be able to send five riders to the road race and two to the time trial.
