Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso’s foray into cycling was marked by failures and controversies. The former manager of the now-defunct Euskaltel-Euskadi team, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, didn’t hold back criticism of the Spanish star, pointing out flaws in his approach to the world of bicycles.
Initially set to take over the Euskaltel project, Alonso saw negotiations collapse, leading him to start a team from scratch for the 2015 season. The breakdown in talks with Euskaltel remained shrouded in mystery, but Galdeano, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper AS, offered his perspective on the events.
“I can’t understand how someone planning to invest 17 to 20 million euros, aiming for a grand project, is unaware of how things work,” said Galdeano. “Alonso receives inadequate advice. He was surprised when the UCI informed him that his team wouldn’t be in the WorldTour in the first year. He needs more effective guidance because cycling is as complex, if not more so, than Formula 1. He thought he could come with money and do whatever he wanted. It doesn’t work that way.”
Breakup with Euskaltel
Recently, Alonso expressed regret over the breakup with Euskaltel, without revealing the reasons for the discord between the parties. In an interview with L’Equipe, he stated, “When negotiations with Euskaltel fell apart at the last minute, I was sad not to be ready for 2014. On the other hand, we could have moved forward without the best level of competition. It was already the end of September, and it was getting late to try to create the team we wanted. At the end of the day, I’m happy, and I prefer to build the team my way.”
Alonso’s desire to do things “his way” and establish a top-level team for 2015 was challenged by the complexity of the acquisition process, leading Galdeano to conclude that the Basques were not to blame for the failed negotiations.
“Euskaltel presented things as they were, and they are not to blame at all,” emphasized Galdeano. “Alonso rushed into it. He had his own ideas, and when he saw what Euskaltel offered, he didn’t want it. I believe Alonso receives inadequate guidance, and it continues that way.”
Alonso’s Departure
With Alonso’s departure, Euskaltel ceased operations at the end of the season. The collapse of the unique Basque team, which nurtured local talents in the rich northern region of Spain, followed a heated internal dispute within the team.
Galdeano took over as manager of the team before the 2013 season, ousting founder Miguel Madariaga, with increased support from the telecommunications company Euskaltel to secure the team’s presence in the UCI WorldTour.
How It Went and New Management?
The new management broke the team’s long-standing policy of only hiring Basque cyclists, something Galdeano described as a “disaster.” In his words, “If they asked me today if I would sign foreign cyclists, I would say no. Everything was a disaster. The project was promoted, then stopped, then destroyed. If they asked me if I would do it all over again, I would say you’d have to be crazy. I lost a lot.”
Both main sponsors of the team informed cyclists in July that they didn’t have enough money to continue supporting the team.
Galdeano laments the collapse of the Euskaltel franchise, dating back almost two decades. He states, “I didn’t destroy this project. I ended up being the scapegoat, and that’s something I accept, but this project ended without anyone knowing why.”