INTERVIEW | "What evolved a lot in cycling was the nutrition, without a doubt" - Nelson Oliveira on the big changes he's seen
Cycling
Nelson Oliveira is 36 years old and has been part of the World Tour peloton since 2011. With 22 Grand Tours and 19 monuments under his belt, Grand Tour stage wins, national titles, and top results over the course of over a decade in the peloton, he has seen many riders come and go. In an interview with CyclingUpToDate, the Portuguese rider has explained what he believes has changed the most, his ambitions with the Movistar Team for 2026, and which races he will be participating in next season.
In 2026, he will once again be the Spanish Team's only Portuguese rider, following the departure of Ruben Guerreiro. However Oliveira is a staple of Movistar, part of it since 2016 back when he was already a top rider - signed months after winning a stage at the Vuelta a España. Many riders have come and gone, but he remains.
"No, I don't think it will be different. We are always changing, there are new riders - it will be the same, but different," he told us following the team presentation in Valencia. "I think there is a group of young, ambitious riders who want to show their value. I think the new riders will fit in very well, and I think they will feel very good".
Oliveira rode for the team back when it battled for Tour de France victories, had the likes of Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde, Mikel Landa and Miguel Ángel López for example - all riders who have departed, although Quintana did return in recent years.
"I feel a great gratitude for the team, I have always said that it is part of my family. They always gave me a hand, I just have to thank this team for all these years and for continuing here". The end is nowhere in sight. "For now I have two years of contract. I will try to enjoy as much as possible these two years that I have. I don't know what the future holds, and I don't want to think about it. When the time comes, it will come. I will adapt and keep racing".
Oliveira to take on a heavy schedule and the Giro d'Italia
The 36-year old will begin his season in Spain, and will take on a very heavy schedule for the first month and a half of the season. "Probably here in Castellón (the newly-created GP de Castellón, ed.). Then I will go to Mallorca (where he has confirmed he will be part of, at least, the new team time trial event, ed.), and probably the Volta a Valencia, and then Paris-Nice".
"Yes, I will try to be a bit more busy. This year was a bit of an atypical year, I had fewer races than the previous years but probably my body appreciates it. I always felt better about it, I think that the races themselves help me to gain a bit of shape. Even though I train a lot, the races always give me a plus. I hope it counts".
Whilst Cian Uijtdebroeks announced his intentions to race the Tour de France, and it has been strongly hinted that Enric Mas would race the Giro d'Italia, Oliveira has also decided which Grand Tour he will put his attention on for this season. "In principle I will do the Giro. And then I don't know," opening the door for the second half of the season.
Oliveira is a time trial specialist, but his quality has been shown more through his valuable domestique work. @Sirotti
What has changed the most since 2011?
Having seen generations of riders come up and also leave the sport, Oliveira has seen a lot through his decade and a half at the highest level of racing. What has changed the most? "There is a lot more nervousness," he answered. "There is a lot more pressure, there is a lot more media presence. And what evolved a lot in cycling was the nutrition, without a doubt".
The nutrition is also something completely different, and he shares that everyone at Movistar is required to fit with the current standards of nutrition in the peloton. The 'magic' number of 120 grams of carbs per hour is not something only the best follow, but everyone from leaders to domestiques.
"Like everyone else. It's completely different," he compares. This key aspect is behind a lot of the performance improvements over the last few years, and even the veteran has had to adapt to the new methods of modern cycling. "The nutritionists study something and they are the ones who tell us what to eat and what not to eat".
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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- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
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