"I have to get a taste of it at some point, right?": Cian Uijtdebroeks prepares to lead Movistar at the Tour de France

In what was one of the most unexpected moves of the off-season, Cian Uijtdebroeks broke his contract with Team Visma | Lease a Bike to join Movistar Team. The Belgian rider had already broken his previous contract with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe at the end of 2023, and he replicated that two years later.

The move to Movistar was definitely surprising, but it followed a mutual reassessment of his future at Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “Visma and I were on slightly different paths,” Uijtdebroeks explained in an interview to In de Leiderstrui. “The goal remained development as a GC rider, but there would probably be no grand tour for me in 2026. That didn’t match our ambitions.”

After discussions with management, both sides agreed the best solution was to part ways. “We laid our ideas for the future on the table and there was a difference of opinion. We went our separate ways in a mature way. There was never a fight.”

Uijtdebroeks had several offers on the table, but Movistar was the one that convinced him the most. “We chose Movistar based on the programme I could ride and the feeling I had with the team,” he said. “They have a strong history in the races where I want to perform, so I wanted to take that opportunity immediately.” 

Uijtdebroeks has signed a four-year contract, and his feelings with the Spanish team are positive so far. “So far, it’s been positive. We’ve started well and I’m getting to know the team. We’re already doing various tests, like the time trial, to fine-tune things.”

Addressing the contrast between Visma’s reputation and Movistar’s identity, he added: “Movistar is a team with a Spanish identity, but Visma is also very Dutch. Movistar knows it has to become more international to belong among the best teams, and I think this is a step in that direction.”

His 2026 season will include the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Paris-Nice, the Itzulia Basque Country, and for the first time the Ardennes Classics. “The one-day races went well for me last year and I’d like to improve further,” he said. “If San Sebastián goes well and Lombardy is decent, those are races where I should be able to show something.”

Enric Mas recently announced that he has opted to skip the Tour de France and focus instead on the Giro-Vuelta double. This means Uijtdebroeks will have the chance to be the sole leader of the team. “I have to get a taste of it at some point, right? It’s the race where I want to show myself in the coming years,” he said.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m going there without ambition. I want to show myself in the general classification. We just want to pursue our objectives, and in the long term that’s a podium in the Tour de France. I get full opportunity here, and that’s what I was looking for.”

He believes there is still significant room for improvement, particularly against the clock, a discipline in which he has never excelled. “We’ve never really personalised or measured my time trial setup. Here they want to close that gap. The bikes are good, the clothing is right, and the atmosphere is very calm. That appeals to me.”

That calm approach has already made a positive impression on him. “My trainer told me: ‘Cian, think about today, about what we’re doing today.’ For someone like me who always wants to move forward, that might actually be very good. I feel like I’m in good hands.”