CONFIRMED | Cian Uijtdebroeks makes Movistar debut against Evenepoel at Volta a Comunitat Valenciana
Cycling
From the 4th to the 8th of February the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana will set the stage for Cian Uijtdebroeks’ debut with Movistar team. The Valencian race will be the first major test for a group that blends experience and youth, with clearly defined roles both in the mountains and on the flat.
In the mountains Pablo Castrillo, Raúl García Pierna and Iván Romeo will act as luxury domestiques and secondary GC cards, bringing solidity on the toughest terrain and the ability to control the pace on demanding finales.
On the flat, Michel Hessmann and Nelson Oliveira will be the key pieces to protect position, drive the chase, and keep the team well placed on days that suit the rouleurs. The line-up is completed by Daniele Forlin, making his first-team debut after stepping up from the development squad, adding valuable experience to his progression.
The race is going to feature a star-studded field headlined by Remco Evenepoel and João Almeida which will battle in the race's mountains; whilst the likes of Mads Pedersen and Biniam Girmay will start their seasons here respectively and headline the sprint battles.
Movistar for 2026 Volta a Comunitat Valenciana:
Cian Uijtdebroeks
Iván Romeo
Pablo Castrillo
Raúl García Pierna
Michel Hessmann
Nelson Oliveira
Daniele Forlin
Cian Uijtdebroeks
Iván Romeo
Pablo Castrillo
Raúl García Pierna
Michel Hessmann
Nelson Oliveira
Daniele Forlin
Race winners
| Year | Winner | Second | Third |
| 2025 | COL Santiago Buitrago | POR João Almeida | ESP Pello Bilbao |
| 2024 | USA Brandon McNulty | COL Santiago Buitrago | NEUTRAL Aleksandr Vlasov |
| 2023 | POR Rui Alberto Costa | ITA Giulio Ciccone | GBR Tao Geoghegan Hart |
| 2022 | RUS Aleksandr Vlasov | BEL Remco Evenepoel | ESP Carlos Rodríguez |
| 2021 | SUI Stefan Küng | POR Nélson Filippe Oliveira | ESP Enric Mas |
| 2020 | SLO Tadej Pogacar | AUS Jack Haig | GBR Tao Geoghegan Hart |
| 2019 | ESP Ion Izagirre | ESP Alejandro Valverde | ESP Pello Bilbao |
| 2018 | ESP Alejandro Valverde | ESP Luis León Sánchez | DEN Jakob Fuglsang |
| 2017 | COL Nairo Quintana | BEL Ben Hermans | ITA Manuel Senni |
| 2016 | NED Wout Poels | ESP Luis León Sánchez | ESP Beñat Intxausti |
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New weapon for Movistar
Whilst he will not be present this week in Valencia, over the month of January the team has seen the rise of Diego Pescador, who began his season very strongly and with some breakthrough performances. He was second at the Classica Camp de Morvedre which opened up the European season; and was ninth at the Trofeo Andratx where he was part of Remco Evenepoel's winning attack.
“It’s always a bit of a burden to carry the hopes of so many Colombians after such a long drought,” he admitted to Marca during the Challenge Mallorca. “It’s not a small amount of pressure.” The 21-year old signed with Movistar last year and was notably racing an odd schedule which included racing in Australia, European one-day and stage-races, and races such as Paris-Roubaix and Eschborn-Frankurt all combined. The racing experience is now paying off as the Colombian is putting is power to better use and obtaining strong results.
Pescador himself sees this current moment as a transitional phase rather than a structural problem. Far from hiding, he embraces the challenge as a natural part of the process. “I think it’s a bump in the road like any other, and I’m happy to be part of that first group to return to what Colombia was a few years ago in top-level cycling,” he explained.
His vision aligns with that of Movistar, a team that has modified its roadmap after years built around established leaders like Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana. Now, the focus is on the progressive development of young riders, internal cohesion, and a measured approach. “The team is incredibly motivated; above all, it’s about staying calm,” the Colombian noted.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
- I agree that, for Evenepoel, the Euro championship is overshadowed by the slightly off Lombardia and Worlds. However, I disagree that "Ciccone also made a serious mistake at the European Championships" because I don't think he had a win in the bag although he could have won with a perfect bike throw. Guesswork about the finish is not evidence by me for some serious mistake. Sometimes you just barely lose - although Ciccone's sourpuss about it persona was serious.flyer14-11-2026
- I bet you photobombed the video since you are his shadow!frieders314-11-2026
- Skipping the 2027 TDF would be fine in my opinion, and if so, it further reveals that him racing it in 2026 was a good decision. Seixas speaks confident, almost cocky, these days (not meant to be a criticism) and I find it a tad humorous that people (rather commentators) continually chide and advise on how Decathlon should direct and manage Seixas when Paul seems to be calling all his shots since well before this year's TDF.flyer14-11-2026
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