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Twenty-year-old Markel Beloki returns to EF Education-EasyPost for his third professional season. Last year, he made his grand tour debut at the Vuelta a España and won the Tour Alsace with a stupendous attack on the La Planche des Belles Filles.

Still growing into his talents, Markel was an accomplished junior racer who won five of Spain’s biggest junior races, including the national time trial championships.

Long term, Markel’s dream is to go for grand tour GCs. He has believed that he can compete in races like the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España ever since he dropped his dad on their favorite climb, the Zaldiaran, just outside his hometown, Vitoria-Gasteiz. Markel’s dad is the Basque cycling legend Joseba Beloki, who finished on the podium of the Tour de France three times.

Markel is too young to remember watching his dad race. He was two when his father hung up his racing bike. Markel has only seen his dad's famous attacks on YouTube. But, as soon as Markel was old enough to ride, his dad would take him out into the hills of the Basque Country. There was never any pressure on Markel to race. He just loved it. At first, he liked beating his friends to the tops of local mountains. When he was 12, Markel joined a local club and started racing for real. He often rode with his dad, who taught him how to be a cyclist.

Markel hopes to eclipse him.