"Enric Mas has consistently ranked among the best" - Movistar boss confident team leader can bring Tour de France success

Eusebio Unzué, the experienced team manager of Movistar Team, arrives at the 2025 Tour de France brimming with hope. Once again, Enric Mas will lead an ambitious squad eager to place the Mallorcan as high as possible in the general classification — and, ideally, snag a stage victory along the way.

Speaking to Eurosport from Lille, the race’s official start city, Unzué began by focusing on his team leader: “Enric is naturally a rider for whom victories don’t come easily. His greatest strength lies in his consistency, and over three-week Grand Tours — especially the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France — he has consistently ranked among the best. He will be the rider we pin our hopes on to deliver the best possible overall result.”

Beyond Mas, Unzué admits the team has a relatively young and inexperienced roster this year. “We have quite a few debutants, it’s true,” he said. “But I hope the enthusiasm and determination of these newcomers will compensate for their lack of experience. Riders like Nelson Oliveira, Gregor Muhlberger, and Ivan Garcia Cortina, along with Enric, bring valuable experience and knowledge of the race.”

One of those newcomers, Einer Rubio, is a rider Unzué is keen to watch closely. “Einer has usually excelled at the Giro d’Italia, but this year we want to see how he performs on the mountain stages here at the Tour. We’re hopeful he can become an important rider for the team.”

While aiming for a strong general classification placing with Mas, the team also has a clear objective: “Our overall goal is to try to secure a stage victory,” Unzué explained. “It’s something we haven’t managed to do for several years now, and it’s a priority.”

Young talent Iván Romeo is another rider to keep an eye on. “We’re curious to see how Romeo adapts over the course of the three weeks,” said Unzué. “We’re hopeful he’ll feature in one of those key breakaways. While it’s tough to succeed in breakaways in modern cycling, the days they do come off tend to involve riders with real quality. I hope we always have one of our riders in those moves.”

“His achievements so far have definitely excited everyone, including us. You get to know him and realize these feats are possible, but it’s only when they happen that you truly believe. For now, our aim is for him to gain experience.”

The team plans to give Romeo multiple opportunities to shine: “We want to give him chances on two, three, or even four stages we think suit his style. Plus, we’ll see how he does in the individual time trial on Stage 5. But overall, we’ll take things calmly with him.”

Unzué emphasized the importance of team support, especially in the opening phase: “Our riders will also have to work hard supporting Enric, particularly in the early days. Although there’s no major climbing in the first ten stages, these opening days will be demanding. They’re not mountainous, but the terrain is complex and challenging.”

He also expects tactical surprises: “Some of Tadej Pogacar’s rivals will likely try to exploit the unpredictable nature of these early stages. I expect some spectacular racing during this first week.”

Looking at the overall picture, Unzué acknowledges there’s a clear favourite: “It feels like we’re starting with a super favourite. Most of his rivals probably don’t expect to do much more than finish second to him.”

“But precisely because of that dominance, I’m sure we’ll see attempts to shake things up. My impression is this Tour will be very exciting.”

Unzué wrapped up with a positive outlook on the team’s composition: “Every year, some riders fade away and new ones emerge. While the pool of talent may not be huge, we’re making interesting signings—promising young riders with varied profiles—and we’re counting on our current riders to keep developing.”