Inks two-year contract

Nirgua native joins Telefónica-backed squad after resounding success with Caja Rural-RGA over last two seasons.

The Movistar Team, the top-tier squad that has trusted the most talents from Latin America over the last two decades, will continue to bet on riders from the area next year. Orluis Aular (Nirgua, VEN; 1996), a current member of the Caja Rural – Seguros RGA outfit, will make the leap towards the WorldTour via a two-season contract (2025-26) with the organisation led by Eusebio Unzué.

Aular joins the Telefónica-backed squad after two brilliant final years in green, a true breakthrough for the six-time national champion -two road race titles; four individual time trial jerseys, the last one in 2024-.

Victories in the Trofeo Matteotti, a stage of the Tour du Limousin, the overall classification of the CRO Race and GC success in Portuguese stageraces Volta ao Alentejo and GP Torres Vedras were added to his Central American Games’ road race success in 2023. His palmarès also includes two second-place finishes in WT events: stage five of the 2024 Itzulia in Amorebieta and stage seven of the 2023 La Vuelta, with only Frenchman Geoffrey Soupe faster than him at Oliva’s bunch sprint.

Orluis becomes the second rider from Venezuela -after José Rujano, member of the Abarca Sports roster in 2008- to be part of the Movistar Team.

REACTION / Orluis Aular:

“To be honest, I never imagined I could make it to the WorldTour. I always sought to progress one step at a time. I first tried to make it to the European peloton, and I achieved it thanks to Jesús Rodríguez Magro -note: a late ex-Banesto rider and later owner of an amateur squad-, competing in Spain with EC Cartucho. Then, I went on to race in Belgium for two years, where I learned a lot; I jumped towards Japan; and finally made it to my first goal, which was riding for a ProConti squad. I cannot thank Caja Rural enough for the chance they gave me back them. I knew that it would only get harder from there, and it’s been many years of hard work and dedication to get this beautiful opportunity with the Movistar Team. It makes me happy and also so emotional – it’s never been easy.

“2024 has been my best season yet. Year by year I’ve improved a lot, and I was able to keep consistency in both my performance and results this season, with the aim of getting to the WorldTour. That desire has propelled me to work harder than I’ve ever done. I’ve been able to get over some mountains in better form than ever, and having the ‘plus’ of knowing I could stand that chance of joining the Movistar Team gave me hope to continue improving in many aspects.

“I’m at the team’s full disposal for whatever they might need. I will keep chasing goals, as I’ve done over my entire career, trying to be a good allrounder and showing I’ve still got room to improve. I’m a bit anxious to get going, know the team-mates and staff – some of them I’ve already shared time with in the past, and I want to support the team and give it my all.”