Naia Amondarain has renewed her contract with Laboral Kutxa, extending her stay until 2025. The 23-year-old Basque rider from Ibarra, Gipuzkoa, is eager to leave behind two challenging seasons plagued by injury, which saw her sidelined for much of 2023 and 2024.
Amondarain, who suffered a hip injury, made her return to competition in June at the Volta a Catalunya, marking the end of a long period without racing. Since then, she has regained her smile, as she puts it, and feels ready to take on the coming season.
Speaking about her new deal, Amondarain expressed her enthusiasm: “I’m really happy to continue with the team for another year. To be honest, the last two years have been pretty tough and full of ups and downs because of my hip injury. I’ve left it all behind now, and I’m feeling really motivated and excited for the coming season. This year, I haven’t had many race days, but on the other hand, I’m happy because I was able to pin a number on my back again and compete.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Amondarain is optimistic: “I’m really excited because the team has had a brilliant season, with my teammates performing at a great level all year. We’ve made another step forward, and that’s given us all the drive to keep working hard and try to do things as well as possible. I hope we can keep this dynamic going, grow as a team, and personally, I want to get into a good race rhythm and perform at a solid level.”
Ion Lazkano, the sports director for Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi Fundazioa, recognised the importance of retaining Amondarain within the squad. “It was really important for the team to give Naia another chance,” he said. “She’s a young Basque rider, and given the year she’s had, unable to compete until the summer due to injury, we felt it was crucial to offer her the opportunity for a more normal season.”
Lazkano added, “Despite racing in a few events during the second half of the season, she hasn’t reached her top level yet. That’s why we thought it was essential to give her another chance to have a full year of competition. Given her development, we think next year could be a great opportunity for her, and we hope everything goes well.”
Amondarain’s comeback has been one of the highlights for Laboral Kutxa this season. After returning at the Volta a Catalunya, she went on to compete in seven more races, demonstrating her growth and contributing to the team’s success.
Amondarain’s contract renewal follows that of Debora Silvestri, as the team continues to build a strong roster for the future. The purple squad, which already has riders like Idoia Eraso, Usoa Ostolaza, Ane Santesteban, Catalina Soto, Alba Teruel, Laura Tomasi, Cristina Tonetti, and Eneritz Vadillo under contract until 2025, remains focused on growing as a unit and developing its talented cyclists.
