2024 Season Review | Movistar Team: Enric Mas saves the year at the Vuelta a Espana, but big departures set to cause more problems in 2025

We’re just over a month into the off-season, and as the team’s and riders rest and begin to prepare for what will be another brutal battle in 2025, we’ve started to look at how each team performed through the 2024 season. It’s safe to say that there’s been a huge mix in fortunes from the teams we’ve looked at so far, and today we’ll be looking at Movistar Team.

Movistar Team is one of the professional peloton’s longest serving teams, tracing its origins back to 1980 under the name Reynolds. The Spanish team has undergone several transformations over the decades, including a significant period as Banesto in the 1990s, during which Miguel Induráin claimed five consecutive Tour de France titles. Currently managed by Eusebio Unzué, Movistar is one of the biggest Spanish sides and they have won multiple Grand Tour victories throughout the years.

Despite the retirement of Alejandro Valverde, who secured numerous big wins for the team, Movistar remains a cornerstone of the sport, but there is no denying that the team has faced some difficulties in recent years.

Movistar Team's 2024 campaign concluded with mixed results, as the team faced challenges that left them 13th in the UCI rankings, one place lower than their 2023 position as the Spanish team were overtaken by Israel – Premier Tech. With 11,723 points and only eight victories, the Spanish squad struggled to find consistency across the calendar. Enric Mas proved to be their most significant contributor, with his performances salvaging an otherwise difficult year.

Let’s take a look at how Movistar Team performed throughout the season, and why there could be cause for concern heading into the new year.

The 2024 season highlighted Movistar's continued struggles in one-day races, exacerbated by the absence of a true classic’s specialist. The team secured just a handful of victories and lacked depth and consistency. The first win of the season came from Pelayo Sánchez, who claimed victory at the Trofeo Pollenca – Port d’Andratx in January, earning 75 UCI points. This early success set a promising tone, but the team failed to build any significant momentum in the early parts of the season

Oier Lazkano proved to be one of Movistar's brighter sparks in the classics. He won the Clasica Jaen and placed third at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and he’ll be a big miss in 2025, which we will discuss in more detail later. Lazkano’s contributions were backed up by Alex Aranburu, who won the Spanish national championship, and Jon Barrentexea, who triumphed at the Circuito de Getxo.

However, despite these successes, the team’s reliance on a handful of riders was blatantly obvious. The loss of Alejandro Valverde a few years ago left a void that they still haven’t managed to fill. Enric Mas, often relied upon in grand tours, managed a fifth-place finish at Il Lombardia, adding 100 points but failing to contend for victories at the Italian Autumn classics as he has in the past. Similarly, Nairo Quintana struggled to deliver results in climbing classics, leaving the team’s staff and fans scratching their heads.

Movistar's lack of a consistent threat in one-day races proved costly to their overall ranking. While the team historically prioritises stage races, addressing their one-day race performance is crucial in the upcoming years as without improvement, they risk falling further behind in the rankings.

Movistar’s grand tour performances were a mixed bag in 2024, with some bright moments but also significant disappointments.

The Giro d’Italia did actually offer some positive moments, particularly from Einer Rubio, whose seventh-place finish in the general classification earned the team 180 points. Meanwhile, Pelayo Sánchez claimed stage 6 in a thrilling victory over Julian Alaphilippe, and Nairo Quintana came close to winning the Queen stage and would have done so, if it wasn’t for the unstoppable Tadej Pogacar.

The Tour de France, however, was once more bad three weeks for the team. Enric Mas once again struggled to perform at his peak in the French mountains, finishing a distant 19th in the general classification. In all fairness, this did still earn the team a much needed110 points. More disappointingly, the team failed to secure a stage win, marking one of their weakest performances in recent years at cycling’s blue ribboned event.

The team will still be thanking their lucky stars for their performance at their home grand tour in Spain. At the Vuelta a España, Enric Mas delivered yet another a standout performance. He consistently followed Primoz Roglic closely on the climbs and finished third overall, securing 240 points. This result marked his fourth Vuelta podium and reminded fans just how good he can be when’s he is firing on all cylinders. However, there is no denying that without Mas’s Vuelta heroics, Movistar’s season would have been bleak.

The Spanish team is seeing significant roster changes heading into 2025, with notable departures that could be a cause for concern. Alex Aranburu, a key contributor in one-day races, will leave for a French team Cofidis, while Oier Lazkano, another rising star, has signed with Bora-Hansgrohe. Both losses will weaken Movistar’s classics lineup, and could cause some big problems for their overall points haul. Additionally, Iván Sosa will join Equipo Kern Pharma, and Sergio Samitier will follow Aranburu to Cofidis. Rémi Cavagna, who underperformed during his only year with the team, will depart for Groupama-FDJ.

On the positive side, Movistar has made strategic signings in the hopes of a better year in 2025. Pablo Castrillo, who impressed with a breakout performance at La Vuelta, has joined the squad, bringing youthful energy and promise. Similarly, Orluis Aular makes the leap to WorldTour level, and the Spanish team will be hoping he can quickly get up to racing speed.

Maybe this seems a bit harsh, considering the team did manage to get a podium with Mas at the Vuelta and had some strong results at the Giro. But if we’re being honest, Movistar Team is not in a good place at the moment, and if it wasn’t for Mas’ fourth Vuelta podium, the team would already be in panic mode.

As one of the most prestigious Spanish teams in the sport, they really need to get their act together, and fast. They are outgunned and outpowered by the likes of UAE Team Emirates and Visma at the grand tours, and maybe it’s finally time they find a way to replace Valverde and start to pick up more substantial points during the early one day races.