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The Women’s Continental team Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi is set to expand with a €1.8 million budget and aims to acquire a Women’s WorldTeam licence in 2024.
The Spain-based squad confirmed to Cyclingnews that it plans to follow in the footsteps of the men’s Euskaltel-Euskadi and continue to develop riders from the Basque Country, thanks to the long-term commitments from sponsors Kutxa, Orbea and Etxeondo.
“Our aim is to be a reference point at the world level, boosting women’s racing and based on the riders who have grown up in our sport in our area,” said team manager Aitor Galdos in an interview with Cyclingnews from the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta.
“We believe the ideal place to do that is the Women’s WorldTour, as it allows you access to the best races, the best riders and provides maximum exposure to the team and the message we want to transmit,”
The women’s team formed as an amateur and club team from 2018 through 2020. It then registered as a UCI Women’s Continental Team beginning in 2021 under the expanded sponsorship of Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi for 2021 and 2022.
Like the men’s ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi, the women’s program will focus on developing riders from the Basque Country. It will also bring together an international roster that will be competitive in the bigger races on the calendar.
“The idea is to work with the base of the sport in Euskadi [Basque Country – ed.]. This means we have to try to count on the best Basque riders of any particular point in time because, among other things, we want to be a reference point for that cycling base here,” Galdos said.
“In any case, the team is open to signing riders from elsewhere, so we can reach the competitive level necessary to take part in Women’s WorldTour races. It will enrich our project too, as it will allow the riders from here to share other cycling cultures and different ways of experiencing our sport.”
The team currently has 13 riders but aims to bring in eight new next season to compete on the growing international calendar.
“Our priority is to have riders who understand the identity of the team and the Fundacion Euskadi. As…
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