Nearly man

Beloki must win Tour of Spain, says team boss

MADRID (Reuters) -- A triumph in this year's Tour of Spain, which gets underway Saturday, will finally rid Spanish cyclist Joseba Beloki of his nearly-man tag, according to his team boss Manolo Saiz.

"Beloki has got to realize that his future prospects will depend a lot on his ability to win a major race," Saiz told Spanish sports daily Marca on Wednesday. "So in a sense he must win the Vuelta (Tour of Spain).

"We are, however, aware that ahead of him there are two riders who have already won the race -- (Roberto) Heras and (Angel) Casero, as well as (Gilberto) Simoni who has won the Giro."

Beloki, who turned 29 in August, has finished on the Tour de France podium for the last three years but has yet to become a member of the privileged club of riders who have won a major tour.

After two third place finishes Beloki went one better this year to end the race as runner-up to Lance Armstrong, but the attention given to the Texan's fourth consecutive Tour triumph meant that the Spaniard's achievement was almost eclipsed.

The quietly-spoken Basque has now focused his attention on the Tour of Spain, a race he has never managed to finish.

Last year he led for three days before a spectacular loss of power in the Pyrenees, which was later explained by a viral infection that forced him to abandon the race days after.

But ONCE team boss Saiz, who also boasts Tour fifth place finisher Igor Gonzalez Galdeano amongst his riders, is backing Beloki to challenge for the leader's gold jersey this year.

"The team are betting on Beloki," he said. "He was second in the Tour, and the route of this year's Vuelta is very mountainous which will suit him."

Last year's winner Casero and his predecessor Heras are likely to provide stiff opposition, but the Basque rider should get off to a flying start in the first stage Saturday.

His ONCE team are overwhelming favorites to take the 30-km team time trial around Valencia, an event they also won on this year's Tour before going on to claim the overall team prize.

 

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