"Being part of it from the inside now is something very special": Football legend Andrés Iniesta reflects on NSN Cycling Team's dream WorldTour debut

The peloton has a new powerhouse backer, and the early returns are already making headlines. Following the transition from Israel-Premier Tech to the NSN Cycling Team for the 2026 season, Spanish football icon Andrés Iniesta was celebrating his squad's breakout success at the Volta a Catalunya.

NSN Cycling Team is the successor to Israel-Premier Tech, which lost its sponsorship following the war with Palestine. Andrés Iniesta, Barcelona and Spain football icon, stepped in with his company NSN to back the WorldTour outfit in their debut season in cycling's top division.

Six victories in the first few months suggest the project is already heading in the right direction, with two of those coming at the Volta a Catalunya - the last of them Brady Gilmore's brilliant sprint win on the Montjuic circuit on the final stage.

Iniesta was there in person to see it, and with the cameras around, he took the chance to explain what drew him to such a competitive world in the first place. His answer was rooted in a lifelong love of the sport. "Cycling is something that, as I have always said, has accompanied me my whole life. I am a faithful fan of Miguel Indurain and all that generation we grew up with. Also Perico Delgado and everything that has come after," he told TVE.

The former midfielder, who won everything there is to win in football, clearly sees cycling as more than just a business venture. "It is a fascinating world. Being part of it from the inside now is something very special," he concluded. With six wins already in 2026, NSN Cycling Team is giving their owner plenty of reasons to feel that way.