+ Lineups Indurain / De Ronde / Rioja / Sarthe
Tirreno-Adriatico overall winner joins Movistar Team's five Basque riders in Itzulia, which he conquered in 2013. Alejandro Valverde to race GP Miguel Indurain -alongside Nairo- and Rioja this weekend
Two years after his victory in the 2013 Itzulia, Nairo Quintana will lead the Movistar Team from Monday in the 55th Vuelta al País Vasco. The Basque event features plenty of mountains on stages three (Zumárraga), four (Arrate) and five, finishing atop of the 'wall' of Aia, which the riders will climb again during the 18km TT showdown on Saturday 11.
The telephone squad's five Basque riders, Spaniard José Herrada and Italian Giovanni Visconti will join the Colombian in the biggest week of racing in Euskadi, which will start this very weekend with the GP Miguel Indurain (Saturday 4), with both Nairo and Alejandro Valverde racing, and the Vuelta a la Rioja (Sunday 5), again with 'Bala' as leader.
In turn, Juanjo Lobato will be able to start in the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Sunday 5) after the crash forcing him to abandon in the Driedaagse De Panne – Koksijde. Alex Dowsett, who announced his re-scheduled UCI Hour Record attempt this week, will join Adriano Malori back into racing next week at the Circuit de la Sarthe (Tuesday 7-Friday 10).
Lineups
GP Miguel Indurain (Saturday 4, 1.1): Winner Anacona, Igor Antón, Jesús Herrada, Beñat Intxausti, Ion Izagirre, Javi Moreno, Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde. Directores: José Luis Arrieta, José Luis Jaimerena.
Ronde van Vlaanderen (Sunday 5, 1.UWT): Imanol Erviti, John Gadret, Juanjo Lobato, Dayer Quintana, José Joaquín Rojas, Enrique Sanz, Jasha Sütterlin, Fran Ventoso. Director: Chente García Acosta.
Vuelta a La Rioja (Sunday 5, 1.1): Winner Anacona, Rubén Fernández, Jesús Herrada, Javi Moreno, Marc Soler, Rory Sutherland, Alejandro Valverde. Director: José Luis Jaimerena.
Vuelta al País Vasco (Monday 6-Saturday 11, 2.UWT): Igor Antón, Jonathan Castroviejo, José Herrada, Beñat Intxausti, Gorka Izagirre, Ion Izagirre, Nairo Quintana, Giovanni Visconti. Directores: José Luis Arrieta, José Luis Jaimerena.
Circuit de la Sarthe (Tuesday 7-Friday 10, 2.HC): Alex Dowsett, John Gadret, Jesús Herrada, Adriano Malori, Enrique Sanz, Rory Sutherland. Director: Chente García Acosta.