Euskaltel brings together the Azparren brothers

The Azparren brothers, Xabier Mikel and Enekoitz, joined Euskaltel-Euskadi after the Basque team UCI ProTeam, the second category of international cycling, included the small for the next two seasons and the older continues in orange for another year.

Euskaltel sees Enekoitz (2002) “because of his youth and his quality”, as “one of the references of the under-23 squad” of the 2022 coursewhere he participated in the Giro d’Italia at his age, the Mediterranean Games, the Tour of the Future and the World Championship of his category.

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The youngest in the Azparren saga was promoted from the subsidiary, so he followed in the footsteps of Iker Ballarín (2020)his brother Xabier Mikel (2021), Asier Etxeberria, Unai Iribar and Xabier Isasa (2022), as well as his partner this year in Laboral Kutxa Xabier Berasategi, who will also be orange in 2023.

Jorge Azanza, sports director of Euskaltel-Euskadi, is clear that “Enekoitz is a benchmark rider in the Basque academy, with very good results from the youth stage”. “He’s a very generous cyclist, a very good climber, he goes well in the time trial and is fast; he has very good qualities for a cyclist. In his first year he already won a medal at Nationals. He has steps to take, but he has everything to be a good cyclist,” he added.

The young man from San Sebastian, for his part, is “very excited to be able to make the jump to Euskaltel-Euskadi” because it is something he has “thought about since he was little”, since he started “cycling”. “Going to the professional field is something very nice and to be able to share the orange jersey with my brother makes me even more excited,” Enekoitz confessed.

Xabier Mikel (1999), for his part, will complete his third season in orange after debuting in 2021, extending his contract for one season last year and leaving again in 2022 “details of his quality” won a stage and came second overall in the Volta ao Alentejo, hung bronze in the Spanish Championship time trial and contested the Vuelta a España.

The oldest of the brothers from San Sebastián is “very happy to continue” at Euskaltel, as he is “taking small steps” in his career and the Basque team “is a good place to continue to improve and take steps forward”. “Although, above all, the most fun and the most exciting for me is finally sharing a team with my brother. We have been training together for many years and having the opportunity to continue with Enekoitz excites me,” he congratulated .

With the continuation of Xabier Mikel and the inclusion of Enekoitz, the orange team closes their squad for next year. A group of 20 cyclists with the additions of Enekoitz Azparren, Xabier Berasategi and Andoni López Abetxuko, three values ​​from the youth academy, and the absences of Antonio Angulo, Mikel Aristi and Julen Irizar.

Euskaltel-Euskadi 2023 squad

Enekoitz Azparren (2002)
Xabier Mikel Azparren (1999)
Ibai Azurmendi (1996)
Iker Ballarin (1997)
Xabier Berasategi (2000)
Mikel Bizcarra (1989)
Joan Bou (1997)
Carlos Canal (2001)
Unai Cuadrado (1997)
Asier Etxeberria (1998)
Peio Goikoetxea (1992)
Unai Iribar (1999)
Xabier Isasa (2001)
Mikel Ituria (1992)
Txomin Juaristi (1995)
Juan Jose Lobato (1988)
Andoni López de Abetxuko (1999)
Gotzon Martin (1996)
Luis Angel Maté (1984)
Antonio Soto (1994)