"I hope to perform well in races like the Giro and the Tour" - Cian Uijtdebroeks on his goals with Movistar for next years

Cian Uijtdebroeks is the big signing of the winter for Movistar Team. The Spanish team made one of the biggest and most surprising deals of the cycling market by getting the talented Belgian sprinter from Visma, who hopes to do important things in grand tours with his new team.

This weekend the winner of the 2022 Tour de l'Avenir is in the Canary Islands to climb the Pico de las Nieves in an initiative of Gran Canaria 365 and gave an interview in that context to the colleagues of Canarias 7 in which he spoke a little of everything, including goals such as grand tours or classics like Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège:

When talking about his references when he first became interested in cycling, he explains what kind of rider inspired him: "I really liked the Briton Chris Froome, because of his style".

When asked about the Spanish cyclists he admired, he singles out one rider whose competitive attitude always impressed him: "Alejandro Valverde, of course, a super-competitive rider who went for the win on any terrain." Now, Uijtdebroeks joins the team in which his idol has ridden for a very long time, and remains attached to until today. Valverde is also currently the current Spanish national coach.

Addressing the issue of the early maturation of young cyclists, he reflects on how the preparation and demands of the sport have changed: "It's true that now the youngsters train earlier and in a more specific way with the professionals, with the older ones. That leads you to that, to mature a little earlier on a sporting level. Nowadays, this sport has become much more scientific, everything is measured: training, food and rest. Logically, you're looking for greater longevity in this sport and, probably, you don't reach peak performance at 21."

The Belgian has had obstacles throughout his past two years which slowed down his development and results, with nerve issues in his lower back and buttocks often preventing him from performing, an issue that lasted from May 2024 to August 2025. But since his return, he's shown much better shape and also took his first pro wins at the Tour de l'Ain.

Regarding his goals for the new season, he details what he expects from his evolution and in which races he would like to showcase himself: "The truth is that I was looking forward to knowing the routes of the grand tours and to know the strategies that the team will consider for these events".

"I'm very excited now that I'm starting this new professional stage. I'm young; I hope to perform well in races like the Giro and the Tour, as well as to be able to show myself and grow in classics like the Flèche Wallonne or Liège-Bastonge-Liège."

When questioned about the possibility of winning a grand tour in the future, he acknowledges the challenge but also his medium-term aspirations: "A Giro, a Tour or the Vuelta? In the future, maybe. Right now, I don't see it," he jokes. "But I'm working to try to progress and I'd like to reach a Top 5 in one of the grand tours, especially the Tour."