Equip Caisse cyclist with Balears Saving-Islands in 2006

In 2006, the Équipe cyclist Savings bank takes part for the second consecutive season in the Pro-Turn. It is very an happy new year for the team which finishes in the second place of the classification by teams of the test, thanks to the performances of Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (victorious of the Walloon Arrow, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, second of the Tour of Spain and third of the Championnat of the world), the potential winner of the Tour de France Oscar Pereiro Sio

Manpower

Large enough renewal for the team at the beginning of the season, that leave its leader Francisco Mancebo, as well as the brothers Aitar and Unai Osa. 12 runners are engaged, including four French among which Florent Brard, in order to satisfy the new sponsor Groupe Savings bank. The principal arrival is that of Oscar Pereiro Sio, a good general-purpose runner, twice tenth of the Tour de France.

Course of the season

The team carries out a good start of season 2006: in February, Isaac Galvez gains the first two trophies of inaugural the Challenge of Majorque, Ivan Gutierrez the second stage of the Mediterranean Tour, Antonio Colom a stage and the final classification of the Tour of Valence, Francisco Perez the Classique of Almeria. March ratifies the domination of the team on the Spanish tests of the circuit continental: victory of stage to the Turn of Murcie for Alejandro Valverde and Ivan Gutierrez, which finishes second with the final one; with the Turn of Castille and Leon for Jose Vicente Garcia Acosta and Marco Fertonani. Ivan Gutierrez finishes the same month fourth international Critérium.

Starts Pro-Turn is more delicate: the victory of stage of Joaquin Rodriguez over Paris-Nice and the third place of Antonio Colom do not mask the absence of performance on Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, and the first traditional flandriennes and Frenchwomen. However, Valverde gains a stage and finishes second of the Tour of the Pays Basque then, back-to-back, gains the Walloon Flèche and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (race which no Spanish had never gained). The team had never yet gained very the great classic. Valverde continues on its impetus, by carrying out a good Tour of Romandie (a victory, two second places, a third final place). On the continental circuit, Alexei Markov gains a stage of the Tour of Rioja, that Vladimir Efimkin finishes in the third place, Ivan Gutierrez gains the last stage of the Four days of Dunkirk, Vladimir Karpets finishes second of the Classique Alcobendas.

May is marked by the behavior of the Tour of Italy where Joan Horrach gains the eleventh stage, and Efimkin and Francisco Perez reach each one once the second place. However, for lack of a rather strong team (her leader, Ivan Gutierrez, finishes 24e), Caisse of Balears Saving-Islands does not shine there. The Turn of Catalonia, in spite of second place of Vladimir Karpets and David Arroyo, is hardly better, and it team is non-existent with the Bicyclette Basque. A few days later, Valverde has problems at the time of the Critérium of Dauphine-Released, which it finishes only in the seventh place. The Tour of Switzerland is hardly more brilliant for the team. At the end of June, Florent Brard gains the championship of France, which is however held in the Vendée on the grounds of the team Bouygues Telecom. In Spain, the runners boycott the race following the Affaire Puerto. Right before the Tour de France, the team, after very a good start of season, thus seems to mark time.

Valverde, fifth of the prolog, seem well left, but it breaks the clavicle at the time of the third stage. Consequently the team, which seems private of leader, is invisible. At the time of the thirteenth stage, Oscar Pereiro belongs to the escaped one which arrives with thirty minutes in advance on the group, and takes the yellow jersey, whereas it had more twenty-minutes of delay the day before, after a catastrophic crossing of the Pyrenees. The Spanish runner succeeds in keeping the first place, in a very good crossing of the Alps, marked by the enormous failure plus the very broad victory of stage of Floyd Landis. In spite of a fourth place at the time of the against-the-watch final, Pereiro loses the yellow jersey with the profit of Landis and finishes second of the test-queen of the calendar. However, a few days later, Landis is declared positive following a control carried out the day of its surprising alpine victory (it had finished 5 minutes thirty front the second). In March 2007, the investigation still did not succeed, and Pereiro does not know if it is or not victorious test.

Mid-August, Gutierrez gains two stages of the Tour of Burgos. The team begins the Tour from Spain (from August 26th to September 17th) by one second place at the time of the prolog by teams. Valverde gains the seventh stage, then takes the shirt of oro at the conclusion of the ninth stage, which it finishes second, just like the sixteenth stage. Alexandre Vinokourov passes to him in front of the following day, after a long escape with its Danielson fellow-member. Valverde finishes second. In October, Joaquin Rodriguez gains the first stage of the Escalade of Montjuich then Valverde finishes third of the championship of the world on line, enclosing its exceptional season.

In 2006, after very a good start of season, the team, except Valverde until October, and Pereiro on the Tour de France, thus carried out few good performances.

Summary

Victories over the Pro-Turn Victories over the Continental Circuit

ProTour classifications

Individual

Equip

The Caisse team of Balears Saving-Islands finished in the 2nd place with 350 points

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