After an early exit from his co tract with AG2R La Mondiale, Carlos Betancur has joined Movistar, a team with a very good atmosphere for him as they speak Spanish rather than French, which should help him fit in better. Now the 26 year old Colombian wants to show his full potential rather than the glimpses of class we saw at the French team.

“I think Movistar will offer me more, I can learn a lot more and will make me feel happier. In AG2R there were a lot of things that didn’t allow everything to flow smoothly. It’s like when you don’t get on well with your wife. You have to break up. The team which suited me the best was Movistar. I and Eusebio [Unzue, team manager] know each other very well, and I think we’ll be able to work well.”

Betancur may not be able to command the lead in as many races as he could at AG2R, as Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde come ahead of him in the pecking order. Jon Izagirre may also come ahead of Betancur in stage races as he is the superior time triallist and can hold on well in the mountains. Nonetheless, Betancur says he is at the team to win races, as well as offering his support to the leaders.

“(My goal) is to return to winning races. I’ve won them before, and I didn’t just do that by improvisation. I’ve beaten some serious names and I think I can do it well.”

“It’s true that my desire to win had faded a bit, but whether I like it or not, I’m sure with this team, that ambition will return, because I’ve found myself in a team in which I feel really happy.”

He wont be able to lead in the Ardennes as he is up against teammates Valverde and Daniel Moreno, but the trio can offer up a really attacking outlook for the team. Betancur is also hoping to do the Giro-Vuelta double. He was fifth in the 2013 Giro and won the young rider’s classification. He has finished second in stages at both the 2013 and 2015 editions of the race.