Cobo final touch for Movistar Team roster
31 December 2011

New signing

The current reigning champion of the Vuelta a España closes squad's lineup for the next season, completes a strong block for the telephone team's second season in the top tier

The last winner of the Vuelta a España, Juanjo Cobo, will wear the Movistar Team jersey for the upcoming two seasons after the agreement reached by both parties. Cobo (Cabezón de la Sal, 1981) was crowned last September as victor of the Spanish grandtour, a honour that took him definitely into the world elite in cycling after five seasons with notable performances, such as his wins in the 2007 Vuelta al País Vasco overall, a mountain stage in the 2009 Vuelta or the Queen stage in the 2008 Tour de France. The Bisonte de La Pesa will clinch his ninth season as pro rider and return to the team directed by Eusebio Unzué, a squad he already made part in 2010. For the telephone squad’s general manager, the signing by Cobo “is another step forward in the quality of our roster. I think the victory in the Vuelta changed his mentality, while his physical conditions will remain just as strong as we saw this season. I think his arrival and Alejandro’s will make us take a leap above our previous status, mostly because the team surrounding them is even stronger than last year’s support.”

In turn, Cobo showed confident and joyful about this new challenge in his career: “I’m really satisfied because Movistar Team is one of the biggest squads in the world and will give a chance to be in the most important races in the calendar. I know they did an effort for me. In 2010 I rode under the direction of Unzué and things did not go as expected. I think both of us were feeling disappointed about that and now I’m sure it all will turn out better. I’m really willing to do well and get together with my new teammates.


PRESENTATION SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 4
The official presentation of Juanjo Cobo –who will not make any further statement until that date- will be held into an event on Wednesday, January 4, at 12.00 CET at the Central Building of Telefónica’s headquarters in Madrid’s Distrito C, Ronda de la Comunicación s/n (Las Tablas). There, Alejandro Valverde and Juanjo Cobo will talk to the media and unveil the new 2012 Movistar Team jersey.
 

MOVISTAR TEAM 2012
28 riders
Stay: 
Andrey Amador (CRC), David Arroyo, Rui Costa (POR), Imanol Erviti, Iván Gutiérrez, Jesús Herrada, Beñat Intxausti, Javier Iriarte, Vasil Kiryienka (BLR), Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU), Pablo Lastras, David López, Angel Madrazo, Sergio Pardilla, Rubén Plaza, José Joaquín Rojas, Enrique Sanz, Branilau Samoilau (BLR) and Francisco Ventoso.
Join: Jonathan Castroviejo (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Juanjo Cobo (Geox), José Herrada (Caja Rural), Vladimir Karpets (RUS-Katusha), Javi Moreno (Caja Rural), Nairo Quintana (COL- Colombia es Pasión), Alejandro Valverde and Giovanni Visconti (ITA-Farnese-Vini).