Low-key time trial nationals for Euskaltel

Euskaltel's sole representative in today's national time trial championships, Adrián Sáez, placed 14th, as Luisle Sánchez of Rabobank took his third win in the discipline.

The 42,3km course in Béjar, Salamanca, was always going to be Sánchez and Movistar's Castroviejo's playground, but it wasn't a particularly close contest. Sánchez bested the former Euskaltel rider by a massive 1:23, while Alejandro Marque, who surprisingly took out the Vuelta a Asturias earlier this year, posted another strong result by taking out the final podium place. Sáez, coming off his maiden GT in Italy, ended up 4:01 in arrears.

Orbea duo Omar Fraile and Illart Zuazubiskar had good days in the saddle to claim 11th and 12th respectively, while Igor Merino, who was slated to start, doesn't figure on the result sheet (as of yet at least).

Erstwhile Euskaltel stalwart Iker Camaño, now plying his trade for British-based Endura Racing, proved he's still got it with fourth place, a mere 21 seconds off the podium.

Complete results here. 

As for the under 23s, 22-year-old Marcos Jurado sprung a surprise by taking out the title. The non-Basque Seguros Bilbao rider edged out the more fancied Albert Torres, who's a former junior European champion in the pursuit and 2010 sub-23 national champ on the road, by a mere two seconds over the 19,7 kilometres. Alberto Just closed out the podium, while Naturgas prodigy Jon Larrinaga, who prior to the race expressed his wish that the parcours would have been a tad tougher, came in 15th. Bidelan's Jon Ander Insausti was the Euskadi team's top finisher in ninth. Aitor González ended up 33rd.

Full results here.  

Photo: www.fundacioneuskadi.com