Iván Romeo to build WorldTour future with Movistar Team, signs thru 2025

First men's signing for next season

19-year-old from Valladolid, one of Spain’s biggest hopefuls, jumps into cycling’s top-tier with Telefónica-backed outfit.

The men’s Movistar Team’s ‘Signing Day’ for 2023 starts with the excitement brought by one of the most interesting names in Spanish cycling for the upcoming years. Iván Romeo (Valladolid, ESP; 2003) is the first rider announced by the Telefónica-backed squad on Wednesday, his first WorldTour contract taking him through 31st December 2025 with the Blues.

With the Hagens Berman Axeon jersey at the early races of 2022.

An excellent allrounder and, above that, a brilliant rouleur -as made evident by his height: 1.93m-, Iván cut his teeth as a cyclist with the Arroyo de la Encomienda cycling club near his home city Valladolid, a school led by former Abarca Sports rider Juan Carlos Domínguez. After racing for them through under-17 stage, he took the jump towards more serious, junior activity with the MMR Cycling Academy in Asturias, where he confirmed his strong abilities by claiming both Spanish junior titles (ITT + road race) in 2021 and showed he was more than ready to take on the international scene.

With the Spanish national team at the 2022 Tour de l’Avenir.

His 2022 season, within the ranks of one of the best development squads in the world, Hagens Berman Axeon -managed by Axel Merckx-, was productive in terms of both results and learning. Iván combined moments of individual brilliance (best young rider in the Tour of Rhodes; 9th at the Spanish pro ITT championships) with big team efforts, such as the one in the Giro Baby -crucial for his team-mate Leo Hayter’s GC win-, and several appearances with the Spanish national team at the U23 European Championshops (8th in the TT, just 20” off the medals), the Tour de l’Avenir or the Wollongong Worlds (where, despite health issues, he took part in both the U23 events and the Mixed Relay with the pros).

Wishes to fly high with the Movistar Team. (c) Hagens Berman Axeon

QUOTES / Iván Romeo:

“I’m so excited to start not only the 2023 season, but also the whole preparation process for the new year with the team, which is starting really soon. For me, this is really a dream come true, one of my biggest aspirations since I was a kid. I’ve grown up watching this team on TV and on the roads, and being part of this project is just incredible. I think I won’t believe it until I put on the kit, to be honest (laughs). I’m really demanding with myself and I want to improve every single day, always give my best and be an asset to the team from day one wherever I’m asked to. If it’s about aiming at winning a race, try and achieve it, and if it’s about helping a team-mate, work as hard as possible. Bring my best value to the table is my biggest short-term goal.”