Challenge 2015 + Training Stage

Alejandro Valverde starts 2015 season at Challenge trophies as Movistar Team gathers twelve riders in Balearic Islands, starts short training stage

Following their great start to the season at the Tour Down Under and the Tour de San Luis, with two stage victories (Lobato and Malori), Nairo Quintana's overall podium in Argentina and the team's overall classification victory in Australia, Movistar Team will debut on European soil at the Challenge Ciclista Mallorca. The Spanish race will be held one week earlier than usual in 2015 (Thursday 29 – Sunday, February 1) and includes stages for both sprinters -Santanyí – Ses Salines – Campos and Playa de Palma, on days one and four- and climbers -Formentor and Deià, on Friday and Saturday- in its 4-day schedule.

The Challenge will be the first race for the UCI's world number one in 2014, Alejandro Valverde, who leads a 12-man squad completed by Jonathan Castroviejo, Imanol Erviti, John Gadret, Jesús Herrada, Beñat Intxausti, Ion Izagirre, Javi Moreno, José Joaquín Rojas, Fran Ventoso, Giovanni Visconti and debutant Rory Sutherland, all directed by Chente García Acosta and José Luis Laguía. The group will land in Mallorca today to start a short training stage only missed by Dowsett -recovering from his collarbone injury-, Amador and Anacona -still to return to Europe, training in their respective home countries- as well as those ones who took part in the two opening events of the year.