Following a lacklustre 2000 season and the demise of the Vitalicio Seguros squad, González de Galdeano moved to one of the top Spanish teams in , run by Manolo Saiz. ONCE targeted the Tour de France as well as the Vuelta a España, so González de Galdeano was able to start his first Tour in 2001. ONCE had a fresh look in this 88th edition of the Tour: Laurent Jalabert and Abraham Olano were gone and the new team leader was Joseba Beloki, who had finished third the previous year for Festina.
Following a disappointing 2000 season and the collapse of the Vitalicio Seguros team, González de Galdeano joined one of the top Spanish teams in , led by Manolo Saiz. ONCE focused on the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, allowing González de Galdeano to participate in his first Tour in 2001. ONCE introduced a new look in this 88th edition of the Tour: Laurent Jalabert and Abraham Olano were no longer part of the team, and Joseba Beloki took over as leader, having finished third the previous year for Festina.