Haimar Zubeldia was the team’s highest ranked finisher in the last Tour de France, where the 35 year-old Basque rider surprised by taking the 6th spot overall.

Haimar is an all-around rider who finished in the top ten in five of his 20 Grand Tours. After spending eleven years racing for Euskaltel-Euskadi he moved to Astana to help Alberto Contador win Grand Tours. Zubeldia is of precious value in the mountains but is a good time trialist as well. The Tour de France suits Haimar better than the Vuelta where the climbs are more explosive.

In addition to his four top ten placings in theTour de France (5th in 2003 and 2007, 6th in 2012, 8th in 2006), Haimar finished tenth in the Vuelta a España (2000), second in the Dauphiné Libéré (2000) and won the Euskal Bizikleta (2000) and the Tour de l’Ain (2010).