Imanol Erviti is one of the most experienced riders at the Movistar team. His long career at the same squad is a great asset for the Spaniard who is one of the most loyal domestiques and one of the most important riders in the blue formation. Erviti enjoys the utmost confidence from the sports management. He learned his trade from the likes of José Luis Arrieta and José Vicente García and today he is the rider who guides the youngsters.

Erviti made his professional debut at 22 years of age with Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne in 2005. Essentially it is the same team even though the staff has changed over time. He started as a rookie and now he is an accomplished veteran. “I am the same guy but I have another perspective. You learn how things work. You are able to find your spot, you know what to do at every moment of the race. It is a big difference. At first it was different as you had to see what happened in the first races,” he tells Biciciclismo.

In that team he met José Luis Arrieta and José Vicente García who are now his team managers. They were his teachers. "I talked to them. When I arrived, there were people who impressed, a great team, ten riders with an incredible level. Arri, Chente and Zandio are those who guided me. I have learned from them; if I hadn’t, I would not be here. I miss those two crazy guys because they trained so hard. There are some mythical stories,” he says.

Now he assumes the role of mentor for the youngsters. "Sometimes I hesitate a bit. But then you see that the kid is interested and looking at you ... The other day some guys from the Lizarte team asked me for advice and I was so pleased. It's beautiful. In the end, this is simple. If you help people, it is a joy. It gives you satisfaction when they appreciate your advice," he says.

“For young people, it is getting increasingly difficult. Sometimes I get the feeling that they can no longer reach the professional level like I did bcause the dynamics have changes. Perhaps it is more necessary with an intermediate step because now they go directly from the U23 level to the WorldTour teams. In the past, we had a bigger Spanish calendar which made it easier to adapt to the bigger races,” he says.