This week the Movistar Team started the countdown for next season at the first gathering of its roster in Pamplona to plan a 2016 in which they again target almost everything, including yellow dream with Nairo Quintana in the Tour de France.
In an interview with BiciCiclismo, manager Eusebio Unzue outlined some of the goals for his 27 riders, including the five signings, Dani Moreno, Carlos Betancur, Nelson Oliveira, Jorge Arcas and Antonio Pedrero:
"Dani was already with us for two years, in 2008 and 2009, and he is a veteran with an accumulated experience. Especially he reinforces our climbing. He was perhaps the profile that we missed in our team, and he will be vital for Alejandro [Valverde] in the classics which gives us peace."
"Betancur is our challenge, both for the team and the staff. We all have seen what he did years ago. He is young and has done very important things. He has had a career which is unusual for a kid with his class. He has given us the confidence to believe that he can return the odometer to zero. Let's see if together we can get everything out of him.
"In Oliveira, although he has had a breakthrough this year, we really believe that we have a great rider who is very versatile. It is the ideal age to do great things and we felt it was the ideal time to have him in the team.
"The commitment to our training team, Lizarte makes us sign a couple of kids, Arcas and Pedrero, who are ready to take the step. We hope that they will follow the path of the temmates who have preceded them in previous years."
The manager also welcomed the fact that he has two leaders who have achieved great results ever since Movistar took over as main sponsor.
"We have a great leader, Alejandro, who allowed us to be present everywhere and we have had the great fortune to grow one of the last jewels of the sport, Nairo who is made for grand tours and both times has been close to winning the Tour. Luckily Alejandro is not fading year and Nairo has progressed in 2015 and confirmed that he can win the Tour. We are lucky and privileged to have real chances of winning the Tour,"he said.
Another win in the WorldTour teams classification is an objective.
"It is an objective, but it is usually a consequence of the other goals for the year and the fact that we go to every race to do our best. The WorldTour Award is for regularity, something that has been outstanding for the last three years. I complain a little because it is not sufficiently recognized. Regardless of specific moments, it is the prize for being consistent and brilliant in almost every race this year. It gives us much enthusiasm and we hope to continue that line of consistency and fight for it again at the end of the season," he said.
As for the future of Spanish cycling, he is optimistic.
"We will have a generational change, although our strength will be Alejandro (Valverde), Purito (Rodriguez), Alberto (Contador) for another year. Meanwhile, an interesting group of young riders, led by Landa, is consolidating itself and we have riders like Ion Izaguirre and Jesus Herrada and younger riders like Marc (Soler), Ruben (Fernandez). They grow slowly, gain experience alongside the leaders. I hope that they will take over when the great riders of Spanish cycling retire," he said.
Katherine MAINE 27 years | today |
Thomas JOLY 29 years | today |
Jay DUTTON 31 years | today |
Denas MASIULIS 25 years | today |
Andrew ROCHE 53 years | today |
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