Next competitions

Telephone squad to face busy schedule ahead between Portugal (Algarve), Spain (Andalucía) and France (Haut Var).

Movistar Team will be tackling an action-packed competition schedule from Saturday as they divide into three blocks through France, Spain and Portugal. Apart from the Volta ao Algarve, being ridden on South Portuguese lands from yesterday and until Sunday, the Blue squad will race in two other events: the Vuelta a Andalucía, starting its 58th edition on Sunday through Thursday 23, and the Tour du Haut Var in the French Côte d’Azur, with its traditional two-day challenge.

In France, Yvon Ledanois will lead a team composed by Fran Ventoso, José Joaquín Rojas, Andrey Amador, Ángel Madrazo, David López, Nairo Quintana, Pablo Lastras and Giovanni Visconti. The race will kick off with a soft stage on Saturday 18, prelude of the more demanding race on day two: 205 kilometers finishing at the Mur de Fayence, the steep, 26% slope completing a trek with up to four categorized climbs.

In turn, José Luis Arrieta will be in charge of a 7-man Movistar Team roster in the Vuelta a Andalucía: Alejandro Valverde, Imanol Erviti, Iván Gutierrez, Vasil Kiryienka, Beñat Intxausti, Ignatas Konovalovas and local Javi Moreno. The Ruta del Sol will depart with a 6k prologue in San Fernando and an easy first road stage in Benalmádena, before the three decisive stages: the mountain-top finish in Lucena’s Alto del Santuario de Araceli for Tuesday’s Queen stage, the rolling race to Las Gabias on Wednesday and the hard finish in La Guardia de Jaén at the final stage on Thursday.