As most of you have probably noticed we have been busy in the start of the transfer window. Thanks to a sufficiently short shortlist to avoid much speculation as to who we wanted and the goodwill from other managers towards our cause we now are pretty much done already.

I will now go through the deals one by one and explain our thoughts behind.

To everyone with the slightest knowledge of Basque cycling it was obvious that we would end up approaching Movistar to do business in the transfer window as they had several of the big Basque talents that should be wearing orange – and for some of them also used to wear orange.

With Samu have been with us for his entire 14 season as a pro cyclist and even though he is not Basque born he has been adopted as one of our own by the fans – especially after his Vuelta al Pais Vasco win. While he was the biggest pointscorer of the team last season he is starting to get older and as several times before he offered to leave the team if it opened for better possibilities for us. He will always have a special place in our hearts, but for now we need someone we can trust to score points. Most of Samuels points last year was scored by finishing just inside the top 10 and that might very well turn to just outside next season as age takes its toll on him.

Lobato is another rider we have grown fond of even though he hasn’t been with us that long. As the best Spanish sprinter and not being Basque he was in many ways the odd one out on the team roster and since Movistar really wanted him we decided that Intxausti/Castroviejo would be better in the long term. We thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck.

Formolo was drafted and when he came to our office to sign the contract we had also invited the Movistar officials and he agreed to go there instead making it possible for us to get the best Basque stage racer, TT’er and sprinter to the team in the same deal. Not a bad day in the transfer office even though great riders are leaving.

Two old riders brought home by a simple cash deal. Especially Haimar will be great to get back even thoug he is entering the final years of his career.

With 5 GT top 10’s including two 5th places in the Tour last he rode for us in 1998-2008 he set his mark on establishing the team as a serious contender for more than the occasional stage win out of the break. He is no longer on that level but he will bring some valuable experiences to the young guns of the team and will be a great capitain-de-route.

Irizar rode for us from 2004-2009 with a 2nd place on a Paris-Nice stage as the highlight. This season he will be a domestique in cobbles races and will be part of as many TTT’s as possible and is as such very likely to ride both Giro and Vuelta.

This deal made us happy in two ways.

Ioannis was great for us last season but due to being Greek he didn’t really fit our 2014-team. Still he earned a pace in our hearts that made us want to help him find a good home. We believe him and Cofidis are a good match.
That also allowed us to bring in the best Basque cobbler around to bolster that part of our roster and bring some much needed support for Verboven.

This is the only of the deals not instigated by us.

With Lobato leaving Urtasun lost much of his purpose on the team and a bit more mountain depth seems a good fit. Also since Velasco actually have more seasons with us from the past than Pablo does.

The big part of this deal is obviously about Txurruka and Verdugo. Amets was one of the riders I was most sad to see being let go by the old management due to his wonderful attacking style of riding, which he this season showed by winning the third race in EHST by a wonderfully executed attack.
Verdugo did great with many breakaways crowned with his Giro stage win and would obviously have a spot on the team in normal conditions.
He will however be higher up in the hierarchy in Caja Rural and deserves a few more chances for himself. With 10 seasons on our team he will of course always have a big place in our hearts and we wish him the best of luck on his new team.

That leaves us only looking for a right-hand man for Verboven and then filling the roster with FA-signings.

If you have a half-decent Flemish cobbler you can spare feel free to contact us with an offer.

The EHST earned great success last year and might even have been key to gathering the goodwill needed to already being able to field what is close to being a Basque dream-team.

Having all the best Basques home is of course great but have also left the race series in a weird place. On one hand we want to carry it one, on the other hand it doesn't really make sense.

Therefor the startlist will undergo a transformation.

- The current teams and riders will continue to be eligible, though from now on only riders riding for PT or PCT teams in either 2013 or 14.
- The eligible countries will be expanded to countries who have gained independence from a colonial master within the last 100 years.
- Being part of the collapsed Soviet union or Yogoslavia will not qualify in it self.
- If there are room left in the startlist, regions with a strong feeling of independance will be considered.
- At first riders capable of fielding at least five eligible riders will be allowed to race in team colours while smaller teams will have to join up in national teams like those of Catalunya, Scotland, Quebec and Vlaanderen currently.
- Former riders of Euskaltel - Euskadi will be eligible for leftover spots at the Basque national team or making up numbers for their current team should they be able to field a team.

Each country and region will be evaluated individually, but suggestions are welcome.

Currently the following are expected to join in:
Ireland
South Africa
Iceland
Other former African Colonies
Former Asian colonies

The last two will be made more concrete in the near future and the list could very well be extended following suggestions from other managers.