Since the sad farewell of everybody’s favourite orange clad Basques – Euskaltel-Euskadi, the peloton has been lacking its usual edge of Spanish flair. One of the biggest losers in this departure from WorldTour racing had been the Basque bike manufacturer Orbea, who had no team to display their wares in 2014.

However, this appears to all be changing this week if reports in the Spanish and French cycling press are to be found correct. French ProConti team Cofidis, who currently ride Look frames, seem set to sign a new deal with Orbea to make them the official bike supplier of the continental outfit. With a big budget aimed at securing WorldTour status once again, Orbea will be part of a serious shake up at the team and will contribute added impetus to Cofidis’ presence at the Vuelta too in 2015.