14th season under their current top sponsorship

Spanish outfit launches its 45th season in pro cycling with Thursday event at Madrid's Telefónica headquarters, bringing 14 new faces plus revamped kit from GOBIK

All pictures (c): Sprint Cycling Agency

Barely a few days after the celebrations started for Telefónica’s 100th anniversary in 2024, the Movistar Team had the pleasure to bring their women’s and men’s cycling teams to the company’s headquarters Auditorium in Madrid to start their 45th season in the peloton. A legendary squad with a long trajectory, including more than 1,000 professional victories, the structure managed by Eusebio Unzué gathered at their ‘home’, the central offices of the company, riders, sports leaders, employees of their main sponsors and friends of cycling and the team.

Just like happened last year as in-person events got back into schedule, the 44 road athletes -to be added to the Blues’ esports / virtual cycling group, the Movistar eTeam, as well as the new-for-2024 initiative, the Movistar Team Gravel Squad, on off-road competitions- climbed onto the stage of an event where the media was able to meet the numerous new features from the Telefónica-backed squad for next year. The new GOBIK jersey from the Movistar Team, with lighter tones and the #Telefonica100 logo, as well as VIVO -the company’s brand in Brazil-, on the jersey, was shown for the first time live at the event.

The main focus for the media was the appearance, for the very first time in Spain after the announcement of his return to the team back in October, of Nairo Quintana, one of the Movistar Team’s biggest names in its decade-and-a-half with Telefónica as sponsor. Winner of almost fifty races in Blue colours, his addition reinforces a men’s roster -30 riders- with no less than ten newcomers. Enric Mas, Iván García Cortina, Alex Aranburu, Fernando Gaviria and Einer Rubio will again be the main references of a group including, amongst those joining, U23 World time trial champion Lorenzo Milesi, French champ Rémi Cavagna, former Italian ‘tricolore’ holder Davide Formolo or some of Spain’s biggest prospects, such as Javier Romo, Pelayo Sánchez, Carlos Canal or Jon Barrenetxea.

The women’s roster -14 riders, to be completed with youngster Cat Ferguson, who will join in August as a trainee- will be more balanced and stronger than ever. Two 2023 Tour de France Femmes stage winners and world-class athletes, Liane Lippert and Emma Norsgaard, lead a group with two top-of-the-line signings, Canadian Olivia Baril and Brit Claire Steels, as well as stalwarts of the team like Sara Martín, Arlenis Sierra, Paula Patiño, Jelena Erić or Floortje Mackaij, all of them winners during the 2023 season. 19-year-old Spaniards Laura and Lucía Ruiz complete the list of reinforcements.

The Blues couldn’t start the 2024 season without a tribute to one of the best riders to have ever donned the Movistar Team jersey in almost half a century. Annemiek van Vleuten left pro cycling last September and was offered a standing ovation at the Telefónica Auditorium during the event, with a real-size painting of her figure being gifted to her at the Distrito offices. A well-deserved applause for someone who transformed the Blue organisation in all ways imaginable, winning Tour, Giro, Vuelta and Worlds with the ‘M’ on her back. Her farewell is the biggest change for a team featuring three new sports directors -Tim Harris, with the women’s squad; and, within the men’s, Alexis Gandía and recently-retired José Joaquín Rojas-, with Xabier Muriel and Iván Velasco now spearheading the performance department together.

Telefónica, main private support to cycling in Spain through their backing of the Movistar Team since 2011 and its Women in Bike initiative, together with the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation, will celebrate its 100th Anniversary with a very unique event: the final stage of the 2024 La Vuelta, departing from the very Distrito premises where today’s launch was held and ending next to the historic Gran Vía building.

The Movistar Team will properly start its road season on Saturday 13th January with the prelude criterium of the men’s Tour Down Under, first round of the UCI WorldTour, in Adelaide (Australia). The women’s squad will kick off earlier than ever: after a ten-day training camp in Jávea, similar to the one the men enjoyed in Calpe until yesterday, they will debut at the Challenge Mallorca, Saturday 20th. The two programs’ calendar includes 350 days of racing in Europe, the Americas and Asia / Pacific.

MOVISTAR TEAM – 2024 ROSTERS

Men’s Team: Alex Aranburu, Jorge Arcas, Jon Barrenetxea, Will Barta (USA), Carlos Canal, Rémi Cavagna (FRA), Davide Cimolai (ITA), Davide Formolo (ITA), Iván García Cortina, Fernando Gaviria (COL), Ruben Guerreiro (POR), Johan Jacobs (SUI), Oier Lazkano, Enric Mas, Lorenzo Milesi (ITA), Manlio Moro (ITA), Gregor Mühlberger (AUT), Mathias Norsgaard (DEN), Nelson Oliveira (POR), Antonio Pedrero, Nairo Quintana (COL), Vinícius Rangel (BRA), Iván Romeo, Javier Romo, Einer Rubio (COL), Pelayo Sánchez, Sergio Samitier, Gonzalo Serrano, Iván Sosa (COL), Albert Torres.

Women’s Team: Olivia Baril (CAN), Aude Biannic (FRA), Jelena Erić (SRB), Sheyla Gutiérrez, Liane Lippert (GER), Floortje Mackaij (NED), Sara Martín, Mareille Meijering (NED), Emma Norsgaard (DEN), Paula Patiño (COL), Laura Ruiz, Lucía Ruiz, Arlenis Sierra (CUB), Claire Steels (GBR). Joins in August as a trainee: Cat Ferguson (GBR).

General Manager: Eusebio Unzué. CEO: Miguel Grávalos. COO / Women’s Team Manager: Sebastián Unzué. Heads of Performance: Xabier Muriel, Iván Velasco. Sports Directors: Chente García Acosta, Pablo Lastras, Maximilian Sciandri (GBR), Jorge Sanz, Jürgen Roelandts (BEL), José Joaquín Rojas, Alexis Gandía, Tim Harris (GBR).

— ESP unless mentioned. 2024 additions in italics.