INTERVIEW | "I want to show why I'm here" - Venezuela has a World Tour rider in Orluis Aular for the first time in over 10 years
Cycling
The new season 2025 arrives with great enthusiasm in Movistar Team. During the presentation of the team, it was clear that the fight for World Tour maintenance has been won, and the team could fully focus on it's leaders and new signings. CiclismoAlDia talked to Orluis Aular, one of the World Tour's most interesting signings.
The Spanish team did its homework in 2024, and for that reason arrives at the new course fully prepared to shine. Despite the costly departures of Alex Aranburu and Oier Lazkano, Movistar has also been able to respond with exciting signings. Orluis Aular is one of them, and is Venezuela's top cyclist of the moment.
After leaving Caja Rural - Seguros RGA, the Venezuelan rider faces possibly the most important moment of his career. Luckily, we were able to interview him during the presentation to ask him about his arrival, goals and most important changes in making the leap to the World Tour.
Question: To begin with, I would like to ask you about your arrival at Movistar, what were your feelings during your first weeks?
Answer: "They have been quite good. From the first moment I was at the team's first training camp it was easy to integrate with my teammates. The language makes everything a little easier. We face 2025 with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. I think it's going to be a great year both for the team and for me".
P: With this signing you have finally made the jump to the World Tour. What are the most striking differences you have noticed in the change from Caja Rural to Movistar?
A: "Above all it is noticeable in the personnel of the team, that there is a lot more. Also in the calendar. You notice the difference between what a World Tour team offers you and a Pro Team. Even so, I've been very happy at Caja Rural. They have given me the opportunity to ride with full confidence. It's been a very good five years. But it's true that with the arrival at Movistar I've noticed that change, which I hope to make the most of".
Orluis Aular's initial plan with Movistar
Orluis Aular is coming off one of the best years of his career in 2024 where he won three races, off the back of an equally impressive 2023 where he came close to winning at the Vuelta a España and won the Cro Race, Volta ao Alentejo and both national championships. . However, the level of demand for the new season is going to be much higher. The difference in schedule he mentions is the highlight. With Movistar Team he has access to much bigger and more important races.
Q: With what you mentioned about the difference in the calendar between Movistar and Caja Rural, it is inevitable that we ask ourselves the following question: Will you be in a grand tour in 2025?
A: "At the moment we are focused more on the classics. With the one-day races I want to gradually show why I'm here. I have two years signed. So I think in that time I will be able to do some of the 3".
The 28-year-old Venezuelan rider is clear that his best level is in the classics, a pending task in Movistar Team, even more so with the departures of Alex Aranburu and Oier Lazkano. Orluis Aular has a golden opportunity to become a fundamental pillar of the team in this type of races.
P: Finally, since you mentioned that you will focus more on the one-day races, and with Aranburu and Lazkano gone, the role of classics leader is open. How do you see yourself for it?.
A: "It would be an important role, so I would face it with extra motivation. I come with the desire to do well. The team has given me the confidence, so I want to make the most of it by giving my best. I want to show that I can continue to improve year after year".
Original: Jorge Borreguero.
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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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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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