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"I would have liked to continue, but I understand" - World Tour veteran let go by team after seven seasons despite Olympics goal

Cycling
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Albert Torres is embarking on a new chapter in his sporting career. The 36-year-old Balearic rider will leave Movistar Team in 2027 after seven seasons with the Spanish team. Eusebio Unzué informed him of the decision directly in late September, bringing an end to a spell Torres had hoped to extend at least until the next Olympic Games.
Torres’s final race with the Spanish team came in August at the Renewi Tour, although he did not yet know that he would never again race in the M jersey. A crash in Belgium left him with a broken collarbone, ruling him out of the UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai and further disrupting a season already plagued by physical problems. Last week, however, he returned to road training.
His departure does not signal the end of his professional career, but rather a change in priorities. Torres does not plan to join another road team and will focus his efforts on preparing for track competitions, with the aim of securing a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He may also have another way to continue in cycling, within the Navarre-based team structure.
“The door is open for me at Movistar,” Torres told AS in an interview, explaining that Unzué had also raised the possibility of him joining the team in another role when he decides to retire. He is grateful for the opportunity, but for now his focus is on extending his sporting career and competing for another Olympic medal.
Albert Torres brings a successful chapter at Movistar to a close
Albert Torres brings a successful chapter at Movistar to a close

Olympic Games: Los Angeles 2028 the main goal

“I had planned to stay with Movistar until Los Angeles. That was my short-term goal, and I would have liked to continue, but I understand,” the Balearic rider explained, acknowledging the generational and structural changes taking place within the team.
Torres says he did not look for a new team after learning of the decision and, while he would consider an opportunity, it is not a priority. His schedule will revolve around track racing, and for now he does not expect to return to competition before 2027.
His first major target comes in January, with the Spanish omnium and madison championships set to take place in Mallorca. His plans then include the European Championships, all three rounds of the UCI Track World Cup and the August UCI Cycling World Championships—all key events in the Olympic qualification process. Torres has also left open the possibility of riding a road race with the national team, although nothing has been confirmed.

Torres eager for another Olympics push

Torres is eager to try again after narrowly missing the podium at Paris 2024, where he finished fourth in the omnium, just 11 points off bronze. His recent record also offers reason for optimism: in 2025, he won the madison world title in Chile, 11 years after his previous world championship victory. “Time will tell how far my body can go, because I don’t think it’s a question of age, but of mindset,” he said.
As he prepares for this new challenge, Torres is also looking back fondly on his time at Movistar, which he joined in 2020 at the age of 30 after establishing himself as one of Spain’s leading track specialists.
Five Giro d’Italia appearances and one Tour de France start feature in his record, with the 2020 Italian race standing out in particular. On 31 December, his time with the team will officially come to an end, although the door will remain open for a future that, for now, has a clear destination: Los Angeles.
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