World Cup, Superprestige and Exact Cross from October to February, road racing events among professionals from March to September: this is the packed schedule that, starting this autumn and for the next two seasons, awaits eight-time Spanish cyclocross champion Felipe Orts.

By signing a three-year agreement with Euskaltel-Euskadi, the thirty-one-year-old native of Villajoyosa has decided to split his calendar during the year, not limiting his efforts to just the major international cyclocross circuits but, as happened already in the 2021/2023 period when he wore the Burgos-BH colors, also reintroducing a substantial number of road races into his schedule.

In these circumstances, the continental silver medalist in the specialty at Pontevedra 2024 will wear the colors of the Basque professional team which, according to what was announced in recent days, will stand by his side during the autumn-winter months, along with his personal and technical sponsors, through the Euskadi Foundation, allowing him in this way to continue being the reference point in cyclocross for the entire Iberian movement.

For his new team, this new partnership will therefore entail, for the first time, a commitment spread over all twelve months of the year but, at the same time, will represent an important opportunity to obtain from an alternative source to road racing those much-discussed UCI points which, it should be remembered, from 2027 teams will be able to accumulate also from other disciplines, cyclocross included.

Regardless of this, Orts will certainly continue to hunt for the best possible result in every competition and on every terrain as he has always done, an approach that over the years has earned him eight national titles in cyclocross, a European silver medal and notable placements such as those obtained in the latest World Cup races at Benidorm (third) and Hoogerheide (sixth) and at the World Championships last February when he finished seventh.

"I had the possibility of starting a strictly personal project or even returning to race with a Belgian team, but when the opportunity to join the Euskadi Foundation presented itself, I didn't hesitate for even a second" said the Spaniard after the announcement of the new agreement.

"For me it is fundamental to be able to count on a solid group to face the road season and I am sure I will learn a lot from the Euskaltel-Euskadi guys whom I hope to help achieve great results while I am working to build my condition for the winter. In cyclocross I will keep my personal sponsors, but racing under the banner of the Euskadi Foundation fills me with pride and peace of mind. Knowing that I have the support of this structure and the backing of the Basque fans, who have always supported me and now will do so even more seeing me wear the team jersey, is an extraordinary motivation" concluded Orts who next year, in fact, will return to effectively competing as a professional on the road four years after his stint with Burgos.