“Enthusiasm, seriousness, sacrifice, evolution and transparency are the words on which this team will build its foundations”
Following reports that the Formula One racing driver Fernando Alonso has purchased the WorldTour lience of the Euskaltel Euskadi team, the driver’s press office has confirmed the news and said that he is working to set up a team based on ‘transparency and zero tolerance’, which will have the aim of being successful and also improving the image of the sport.
The driver, who is a long time cycling fan and who previously spoke about a desire to set up a team based around Alberto Contador, will instead construct one based around former Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez.
Contador is contracted to Team Saxo Tinkoff, but could potentially come on board at a later date.
According to the statement on Alonso’s personal website, he decided to move on the project in order to guarantee the continuity of the team formerly backed by Euskaltel Euskadi.
“After various days of intense negotiations between both parties, carried out with maximum discretion, we are pleased to announce that the Spanish sportsman has reached an initial agreement to buy said cycling team and so avoid its demise,” says the statement.
After speaking about what it terms his great enthusiasm for cycling, it states that Alonso plans to run a clean team. “Enthusiasm, seriousness, sacrifice, evolution and transparency are the words on which this team will build its foundations,” the statement promises.
“Alonso is thrilled to be forming an active part in cycling and to be able to improve the image of this sport. Transparency and “zero tolerance” will therefore be the fundamental pillars on which the foundations will be laid for this exciting sports project.”
It added that the new team will honour the contracts of the riders currently signed up to Euskaltel for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The aim is to grow the team gradually, with a firm intention stated of eventually becoming a global model.
The statement conveyed Alonso’s ‘enormous gratitude’ to Euskaltel for its long involvement in the sport, plus the good will it showed during the negotiations. He also thanked the Basque fans who have long shown a loyalty to the team, and said that he hoped they would continue that support for the new venture.
The statement concluded with a sense of urgency. “As of today we will start to work against the clock, with maximum effort and humility, and transferring the best of our professional experience, in order to be capable of starting the first races of the 2014 season with a new team, full of desire and with a fighting spirit.”