Sports Director
As Sports Director:
Movistar Team (2013-)
As Rider:
Movistar Team (2011)
Caisse d’Épargne (2006-10)
Illes Balears (2004-05)
ibanestocom (2001-03)
Banesto (1995-2000)
Always by the side of Unzué during his 17-year pro career, Chente became sports director for the Movistar Team in 2013, the man from Tafalla in Navarra (Spain) having already worked with the staff in 2012 during the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España.
During his racing career, Chente was an exemplary domestique for the likes of Indurain, Olano, Zülle, Pereiro or Valverde. He rode the Vuelta a España fifteen times, from which he completed 14 – only missed the Madrid parade on the last one, a serious crash marking the end of his career. The feat gets him to the third place of most starts in the race, only behind Íñigo Cuesta and Federico Echave.
It was the Spanish grandtour which saw him claiming some of his most brilliant victories -stage wins in 1997 and 2002-, together with the Tour de France -twelve appearance, a stage victory in Draguignan (2000)-, in a career that is doubtlessly qualified as legendary in the whole history of Spanish cycling, with no less than 27 Grand Tour presences.
Riding Palmarès: Two Vuelta a España stage wins (’97, ’02), one Tour de France stage win (’00), victories in the Vuelta a Burgos and the Vuelta a Castilla y León. 17 years as pro, 27 Grand Tours (12 Tours, 15 Vueltas).