Inks three-year contract
19-year-old from Quindío, Colombia, lands in the WorldTour next year after a quick rise to the fore of the international under-23 peloton.
Colombia and Latin America will remain an important part of the men’s Movistar Team project over the next few years. Diego Pescador (Quimbaya, Quindío, COL; 2004), a current member of the GW Erco Shimano squad in his home country, will make the leap towards the WorldTour with Eusebio Unzué’s squad. He has signed a three-year contract, ending in December 2027.
Two seasons in the Continental echelon have been enough for Pescador to show his quality as one of Colombia’s best prospects. Winner of the Young Riders’ classification at the Vuelta a Colombia and a stage of the Clásico RCN in 2023, Diego has shone bright in 2024 also abroad: 2nd overall at the Vuelta de la Juventud, 7th -third best under-23 rider- in the Tour de l’Avenir; and strong in the Giro Next Gen and the Course de la Paix (UCI Nations Cup).
REACTION / Diego Pescador:
“There’s been many enjoyable moments during this 2024 season for me. The spring races in Italy – the Trofeo Piva (3rd), Palio del Recioto (2nd) and the Settimana Coppi e Bartali – they were so exciting, I gained loads of experience and could show the team colours at the front. The Vuelta de la Juventud was the most important domestic race for us, and I ended it really satisfied, both with myself and the team’s performance. It was a big boost of morale heading into the U23 Giro, a super demanding race with a strong field of competitors, eight beautiful days under the heat, in the mountains – I didn’t have the best legs I could desire for, but it left me with a good fitness level for the Tour de l’Avenir, the biggest event of the season for me and the most important stagerace as an under-23. It all went really well, thank God – I improved on my 2023 appearance, I was so proud to represent Colombia there, and making it into the top-ten overall, with the current level of the international peloton, is such a moment of satisfaction, after everything I’ve done from grassroots racing. The Tour has this mystic element – I’ve always enjoyed the race, and so many moments will remain in my heart for what’s to come.
“The Movistar Team has always been such a great support for Latin American riders – they’ve always kept their doors open to cycling in this continent. Starting this new story with them — to be honest, there’s some days I can’t believe myself when I wake up in the morning. It’s a WorldTour, but more than that, it’s the team of my hero, Nairo Quintana, someone I’ve always admired so much and watched on TV when I was a kid. Being part of the team he achieved his biggest victories at is unthinkable for me. It makes me so, so excited. I hope to learn a lot for everyone. They’ve got this winning mentality, and I want to be a great asset, achieve success together. I’m the first rider from Quindío to make it to the Movistar Team, and I think it’s going to be a huge step for the whole region (laughs).
“Above everything, I just want to improve as a person. Everything I’ve been taught at home, I want to put it in practice here. Leave an impression and show the whole process I’ve been through. Also, fight to be part of that ‘new generation’ the Colombian fans are asking us to be. I know I’m joining a big team, where I will get the support I need and people who will make my life easier for me to just focus on my performance. I’ve got to do things right, remain disciplined, ambitious, responsible, and always look ahead. I’m raring to go, really. I want to do my best already in 2025. I want to thank God, my team and my family – we’ve worked so hard for this. It’s a dream come drue, especially as part of this team, where Colombia has always been important.”