WILD COLT. Ever since he was a ‘cadete’ (U17) and junior, with Basque development squads Zirauna and Iturribero, Basque hopeful Oier Lazkano showed the same abilities that have now led him into the WorldTour. He’s an indomitable cyclist, a really courageous one, whose strong body is made for solo escapes, flat or hilly roads and any terrain that requires a big amount of horsepower. His impressive figure -around 1.90m tall- and exceptional skills soon caught attention from the amateur Caja Rural outfit, which guided him through his two only seasons in the under-23 scene. At those, he snatched a dozen victories, including wins in Copa de España races and multi-day events, soon showing that the amateur peloton was almost too little (in a figurative sense) for him.

A FANTASTIC START. The Vitoria native would soon take the pro leap, already racing the Tour de l’Avenir and a couple of Italian semiclassics, as part of the pro Caja Rural team, in 2019. In 2020, the Spaniard would tackle, right after the first wave of the pandemic, a difficult step as he tried to get into the pace of the top guns, yet he faced that challenge with enormous commitment, his work ethic joined by an extremely affable spirit. And that’s how, only in September that year, he got his first win, crowning in Viseu – end of stage three of the Volta a Portugal – a brilliant breakaway with a solo, late attack. Not bad for a neo-pro, in such a difficult race as the ‘Grandíssima’! In 2021, he continue to amass international experience with his La Vuelta debut, en route to the WorldTour challenge with the Movistar Team.

APPRECIATED FROM DAY ONE. It’s always insisted on that, to understand a rider’s value inside a pro structure, the best thing is to look at the calendar he’s given. And Lazkano got quite a beautiful one for 2022: he raced Roubaix, Flèche, Liège, the Giro d’Italia and the European + World Championships. Races so tough and diverse that there’s no need for further details on his adaptability and how highly his work is appreciated at any team he’s part of. Last season also featured a victory. And he could only obtain it in style: a 130km breakaway, with a final solo stretch, to raise his arms at the end of the Queen stage of the Tour de Wallonie, in the heart of the Ardennes. He was close to doubling that account up with 2nd in the ITT Nationals, behind Raúl García Pierna. He took it seriously, spending hard weeks on his Canyon Speedmax after being unable to show his 100% in the month prior due to a rib injury that hampered his performance in the ‘Corsa Rosa’.