With four, yet with honor
11 September 2011

Movistar Team close their first-ever Vuelta, marked by a virus that left the squad in very short figures, but still satisfied by their protagonism and their stage win, which places them as one of only four squads in the world to win in all three 2011 GT's With only four riders due to a fateful gastrointestinal virus that affected the squad last Tuesday, but with the satisfaction of their work fulfilled, Movistar Team lined up for the first time on the streets of Madrid and the traditional finish of the Vuelta a España in Cibeles square. The blue Telefónica jersey went on the triumphant march in Spain's capital city during the epilogue of the 66th Iberian grandtour, with Sagan (LIQ) grabbing the day's honours as Juanjo Cobo (GEO) claimed the overall victory. After Sergio Pardilla's abandon while he was ranked 13th overall, Marzio Bruseghin (14th) was the best representative from Movistar Team in the final GC of the Vuelta, where Eusebio Unzué's group were an unquestionable protagonist of the event, crowned by the unforgettable win by Pablo Lastras in Totana, which closed the triple crown of victories in all three Grand Tours of the 2011 season, a honor achieved by only four teams in the world.

This is the overview by the telephone squad’s general manager Eusebio Unzué: “We started in Benidorm with two objectives: wining a stage and taking a rider within the best ten overall. We accomplished the first one, and it did make us get into the leadership and also become the first team to win a stage in all three GT’s. The second one we were about to snatch it with Pardilla, but Sergio ended up being another victim of the virus leaving us with only two riders on form. We were constantly fighting for another stage victory, and the result of that was those three second places and our constant presence into all important breaks in this Vuelta. I leave this race really satisfied on the lads’ behaviour, since they were able to get over adversity like the one affecting us this week by keeping our attitude towards the stage triumphs. During the first day the virus affected us I feared we couldn’t even make it with three guys to Madrid. Plus, when we saw Beñat, one of those three not affected in principle, also falling into it, I thought it could take us all off the race. We were really short of force during the last week and that conditions our overview quite a bit, but to tell the truth, I think the ones who came into the final day honored the brand and their teammates in the best of possible ways. The season is not over yet, there’s still Beijing and Lombardy left and I hope the victory account for us is not closed.”

Regarding the overall outcome of the Vuelta and development of the 3-week race, Unzué commented: “I think it was a spectacular Vuelta, with exciting finishes. It was always raced at a very high speed and there was so much competition. It may have lacked some big names and maybe we don’t have ‘traditional’ GC riders on the podium, but as a reward, we discovered three big riders. A veteran one like Wiggins, who showed he can be competing for a GT overall. The confirmation of a promising rider for the future like Froome. And the consecration and show of class from a man we knew, Juanjo Cobo. It’s a pity that he doesn’t keep a regular line during the rest of the season, provided how strong he raced all Vuelta. It’s a shame that he’s just a ‘normal’ rider during 80% of the season and doesn’t always show the level he already exhibited in other places and took him to such a win in the Vuelta here. Nobody can explain it better than himself, and he recognises that the mind factor is the key for him. When he keeps positive, he’s capable doing what he did here, winning in País Vasco like he did, taking a stage in the 2009 Vuelta against all big riders… he’s almost unbeatable. He’s a surprising rider in all of his acts; to give an example, himself being about to retire from bike racing just three months before winning the Vuelta.”


ONE BY ONE

Lastras“He kept the incredible level of performance he’s showed throughout the season. His victory was utterly brilliant in style and manners, attacking in the exact right place to do it and snatching another historic win in the first season of the squad, closing the GT triple and taking ourselves into the Vuelta lead for the very first time.”

Erviti – “He was really strong in the beginning and his crash in Talavera left him really knocked out. When he was getting over, he was one of the most affected by the virus and couldn’t absolutely make it to his real level. The best thing is seeing him back within the strongest and happily recovered, climbing Urkiola and finishing into the first group.”

Pardilla“We were really satisfied with his performance before he got blown by the virus, because his performance went from down to up, and overall, because he could have perfectly done it into the best ten. Really strong and regular in his terrain, the mountains, he was able to ride a magnificent TT. He confirmed the expectations created over him a bit.”

Bruseghin“It’s obvious that his injury did not allow him reaching the start in the best condition possible, but he was a man clearly improving through the race who ended up being one of the five strongest riders in the Vuelta during the third week of racing. In all key moments of that week he was always within the best, even contesting the stage victory till the finish in Bilbao.”

Madrazo – “I’m gratefully surprised about him in this first GT, becaue he went well through the first 15 days despite his lack of experience and youth. He left us a great impression, especially showing signs of the class he appinted before in certain moments.”

López – “That sort of sunstroke he suffered during the first week, due to extreme heat in the East and Andalusia, left him far from his real level, and when he was getting over it, he found the virus that avoided him bringing his potential to fruition.”

Intxausti “It was a strange Vuelta for him, not coming into the best possible condition. He was really blown up by heat in Andalusia, but left good signs of class like his second place in Manzaneda. With his particular moral status, all we wanted was him finishing the Vuelta, and though he made it in bad condition due to the virus, at least he could live the atmosphere of the team finishing a GT. We’ll have time to think of him with more ambitious goals in the future.”

Konovalovas“He also went from bad to good through the race. He was good when it comes to teamwork matters and was another rider who was left KO by the virus when he was feeling the best.”

Chente“His loss left us really sad for all someone like him means to us, due to the seriousness of his injuries and more importantly for his experience and knowledge of the Vuelta that helped his teammates. Fortunately, he will recover fully and will decide on his continuity in pro racing himself.”