Is Cian Uijtdebroeks just the first building block of a completely revamped Movistar? New technical director explains

White had been with Jayco AlUla and GreenEdge Cycling since 2012, but was sidelined during the past season. After a well-deserved vacation, White signed with Movistar, a team he had, of course, seen in the peloton all those years. “It’s been an organisation that’s been around longer than any other, and that comes with a lot of respect after what they’ve done over the years,” he said in an interview with Daniel Benson.

For years, Movistar was Alejandro Valverde's team, with far too many leaders in the Grand Tours and a controversial Netflix series... Under White, some things will change. “The team has said they want to make some changes, but they want to keep their DNA. I'm going to be part of that.”

With Spanish as the language of communication, many Spanish-speaking staff and management, and a Spanish sponsor, White is the English-speaking man who may have been missing. The 51-year-old Australian wants to internationalize, as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale has done under its French name. Uijtdebroeks is only the first building block of a completely revamped Movistar.

“Teams have to change if you want to be successful, and we are on the right track,” says White. “I want to make this organization the best possible version of itself. Of course, the team relies on my experience in selecting players because they want to make Movistar a more international team. I am entering a new environment and I am looking forward to it. I see it as a great challenge.”

With Uijtdebroeks, Roger Adrìa (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Juan Pédro López (Lidl-Trek), Raúl García Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), and Pavel Novák (MBH Bank Ballan CSB), a lot of new blood has already been brought in. What's next? "There is amazing talent in this selection for the coming years. The challenge will be to create an environment in which they can be the best version of themselves."