González de Galdeano quits Euskaltel

Igor González de Galdeano will leave his post as team manager at Euskaltel-Euskadi at the end of the season, the Basque team announced on Wednesday.

González de Galdeano, 38, said it was his decision to leave the squad that he’s worked as general manager the past six seasons.

“I need new challenges and this has prompted my decision,” González de Galdeano said in a team release. “My relation with Miguel (Madariaga) is more than professional, more than president to manager, so that’s why it’s been harder to make this decision.”

Team officials didn’t elaborate on why he is leaving the team after the squad’s most successful season ever, which included stage victories in all three grand tours and the team’s first-ever podium at the Tour de France with Samuel Sánchez winning the King of the Mountains jersey.

Team president Madariaga has asked González de Galdeano to stay on through the end of the 2011 season.

“I’ve only asked him to stay on until the end of the season,” Madariaga said. “He has his own reasons why he has decided to leave his post and he will have to explain them when he feels the time is right.”

González de Galdeano retired at the end of the 2005 season and joined the Basque-backed squad in 2006 as a sport director. He later took over as team manager following the departure of Julián Gorospe, who directed Euskaltel from 1998 to 2006.