Movistar build a Tour de France team around the GC ambitions of climber Cian Uijtdebroeks

It was one of the reasons he left Visma | Lease a Bike, and at Movistar, Cian Uijtdebroeks will immediately have the opportunity to compete in the Tour de France as team leader. The Spanish team is surrounding the 23-year-old Belgian with strong climbers and fast riders for the team time trial on Day 1.

Movistar is not bringing any sprinters to the Tour de France, signaling that it is taking its general classification ambitions with Uijtdebroek particularly seriously. With a seventh-place finish in the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Belgian demonstrated that he is in good enough form to aim for a top-ten finish in the Tour de France.

Uijtdebroeks made his breakthrough as a general classification contender with BORA-hansgrohe in 2023, finishing eighth in the Vuelta a España on his Grand Tour debut. Visma | Lease a Bike poached him from the German team, but he never really found his stride while riding for the Dutch squad, partly due to back problems.

Despite having a contract still in effect, Uijtdebroeks moved to Movistar after two seasons, where he hoped to resume his general classification ambitions. In addition to his recent seventh-place finish in France, he also placed eighth in the Tour of Catalonia this season.

Movistar’s official channels have called Uijtdebroek “one of the greatest talents in international cycling.” In the Tour de France, he will be supported by “a true all-rounder,” Raúl García Pierna, and the “explosiveness and ambition” of the brand-new Spanish time trial champion, Pablo Castrillo. Would-be Movistar leader Ivan Roméo does not start the race due to injury.

"A key rider in the mountains" Einer Rubio is also on the team, having already made his mark in the Giro d'Italia as a consistent attacker of the day. 'A rider for every podium' Javier Romo is also on the roster. What stands out is the team’s abundance of horsepower, which is ideal for the team time trial on the first day.

For example, the experienced Portuguese rider (37), Nelson Oliveira, is described as a “great captain,” and the young German Michel Hessmann is even called “crucial” in supporting Uijtdebroeks. Jefferson Cepeda rounds out the lineup as a “reliable asset for the mountains.” So there’s no shortage of support.