During his time as a professional road cyclist, Igor Gonzlez De Galdeano Aranzabal achieved numerous accolades. He is now the team manager for UCI ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi. His career highlights include his wins in the World Tour and the Tour of California, as well as his win at the time trial.
Time-triallist
During his career as a professional cyclist, Spanish time-triallist Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano Aranzabal racked up plenty of accolades. His tally of awards includes a bronze medal in the world time trial championships, a Tour de France stage win, two second place finishes in the Tour de France, and a Vuelta a Espana win. He has also been named a member of the prestigious Basque Cycling Federation. Igor Gonzlez de Galdeano has been a big fan of cycling since he was a kid. He studied at the Basque Institute of Physical Education.
Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano is a member of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team. In fact, he was the team’s first technical secretary and was tasked with the task of devising a system for evaluating and monitoring team training. As a result, the team has a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses and can focus its energy on the big stages. His teammates include Spanish time-trial ace Isidro Nozal, American Benny Joesems, and Russian Alex Zulle. Igor Gonzlez de Galdeano is currently a directeur sportif of the squad and will be tasked with scheduling the team’s itineraries throughout the season.
Igor Gonzlez de Galdeano was a great competitor to Lance Armstrong during their respective Tour de France campaigns. While he may have had a tough time catching the man, he did manage to beat him in the ol’ fashioned one-on-one road race. Despite his early exit, the former Spanish national time-trial ace has a promising future. In fact, he has recently been named as the top candidate for team leader. Igor is no stranger to the grueling Grand Tours, having started his career in Spain’s pelota division, before moving to a more glamorous role as a directeur sportif. The Vuelta is likely to be his last Grand Tour as a main protagonist.
The illustrious feats of Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano are impressive enough on their own. The real test will be how he manages to translate that into wins in the major races. Among his rivals are Belgian time-trialist Roberto Heras and Frenchman Laurent Brochard.
Ex-professional road cyclist
Known as Igor Gonzlez De Galdeano Aranzabal, this Spanish professional road cyclist turned pro in 1995 with EUSKADI, a Basque team that had financial difficulties. He moved to ONCE-Eroski in 2001 and targeted the Tour de France. He was second overall to Lance Armstrong in the general classification. He served a six-month ban for using the banned drug Salbutamol in 2002.
He was dubbed the “great orange hope” and has been regarded as a classy rider. He has won three races in 2001, including the Dauphine Libere. His performance is so impressive that the Orbea Cycling team is considering signing him for next year.
He has a lot of experience as a climber, but he is more focused on stage races. He has won three stages in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and has won two stages in the Dauphine. He has a fantastic record and is likely to make a profitable move to Orbea.
He was a talented rider and one of the top cycling hopes of Spain in 1999. He joined Euskaltel-Euskadi when he was 22 years old and was considered Miguel Indurain’s successor. He was also considered one of the best cyclists in the world.
During his career, he won a bronze medal in the world time trial championships in Zolder. He also won a Spanish national time trial. He was fourth in the 2003 Tour de France. He wore the yellow jersey for seven days. He finished fifth in the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Vuelta a Espana.
Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano has been banned from the Tour de France by the French authorities. He was also barred from racing in France for six months in 2003 after a crash. His appeal against the French ban was unsuccessful.
He was part of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team until 2004, when he signed with Pro Continental outfit Kaiku. He rode in the team for a couple of seasons before leaving to join Team Selle Italia Flite in 2006. He is now riding for the Cafes Baque equipment company.
He was a member of the Spanish national team in 1997 and 2000. He was one of the few riders in the team to win a stage of the Tour de France. He also won the Classique des Alpes in 2001.
Nationality
During his time as a pro rider, Igor Gonzlez De Galdeano Aranzabal proved himself to be a worthy contender in the cycling world. He began his career in 1995 with Basque team EUSKADI, and later moved to Spanish outfit Vitalicio Seguros. He became a key rival to Lance Armstrong, a former World Cycling Champion.
The biggest event in Gonzalez de Galdeano’s cycling career was his victory in the Tour de France in 2004. While he was not able to win the coveted yellow jersey, he finished second overall and in the process, raised his profile in the cycling community in general. He is currently a manager at UCI ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi, and plans to schedule the team’s itineraries throughout the season.
A hat trick of victories at the Vuelta a Espana in 2003 also cemented his place in cycling lore. The event was his last as a leading protagonist, and his final Grand Tour as a pro. He wore the rainbow jersey for seven days, and was rewarded with a podium finish. He beat Jan Ullrich, Roberto Heras, and Joseba Beloki, while Isidro Nozal rode a merry game throughout the grueling four-week race.
Aside from the Tour, Gonzlez De Galdeano Aranzabal’s best moments were a bronze medal in the World Time Trial Championships, and winning the Tour de France’s GP Midi Libre time-trial. His only hiccup was being banned from racing in France for six months, despite being a European.
In addition to his managerial duties at Euskaltel, Gonzlez De Galdeano also managed to get the best ride of his career. He was also the first rider to win the prestigious Tour de France’s Grand Prix of the Basque Country, a feat he accomplished in 2007. Aside from his accomplishments, he also served a seven-month suspension for using the banned asthma drug Nandrolone in 2000.
It is not surprising that Gonzalez de Galdeano made the list of the most popular Spanish cyclists, and he is also one of the most popular Sport Cyclists in Spain. The net worth of this famous Spanish cyclist is estimated to be around $5 million, as of December 2022.
Career highlights
During his professional career, Igor Gonzlez De Galdeano Aranzabal was a key rival to Lance Armstrong. In 2003, the two cyclists formed a small rivalry and took part in the Tour de France. During the course of the race, Gonzalez de Galdeano won the prologue and two stages, and finished second to Lance Armstrong in the general classification. However, he was banned by the French Anti-Doping Agency for his use of asthma drug Salbutamol, and was suspended from racing in France for six months. In addition, the French authorities have opened an investigation into an irregular doping test.
Igor GONZALEZ DE GALDEANO ARANZABAL was born on November 1, 1973 in Vitor, Spain. He started his professional cycling career with the Basque team EUSKADI in 1995. In 1997, he joined the UCI ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi and won the national time trial championship in Zolder. He also finished fifth in the Tirreno-Adriatico and won the national time trial in Andorra.
He won the Tour de France in 2002, and wore the maillot jaune for five days. He was the fifth best rider overall in the Tour and the highest placed Spanish cyclist in the general classification. After the Tour, he was the general manager of the Spanish cycling team Team Sky. He also managed the UCI ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi from 2000 to 2006. He was suspended from cycling for the use of anabolic steroids, Nandrolone, and Salbutamol. He was also banned for using asthma medication, salbutamol, in the Vuelta a Espana in 2003.
In 2007, he was the Spanish national road champion and won the national time trial championship in Spain. He was also the fifth best Spanish cyclist in the general classification and finished second in the GP Midi Libre time trial. He won the Spanish national time trial in 2006. He also won a stage of the Tour de France in 2006, and finished sixth in the Tirreno-Adriatico in 2009. He was the winner of the mountain stage in Andorra and the fifth best rider in the Tirreno-Adriatico.
He has been a popular Sport Cyclist, and was one of the leading riders during the Tour de France. He is also a popular personality in Spain. In fact, his birthday is celebrated on November 1 every year.
