"It's a shame to see such a big team disappear": One of Arkéa's starlets mourns the project's sad ending

In 2026, Movistar Team will once again begin its fight to avoid relegation from scratch. To this end, the team has prepared meticulously: finally creating an under-23 development team and making high-caliber signings in the cycling market. The most notable is undoubtedly Cian Uijtdebroeks, but Raúl García Pierna brings with him the long-term hopes of Spanish cycling.

García Pierna left Arkéa after a very strong season, becoming at 24 years old one of the most promising and exciting riders on the Spanish scene. Therefore, his arrival at Movistar Team is cause for celebration. Ultimately, one of the country's great talents joins the strongest team in Spain (and the only one among the World Tour teams).

At the start of Movistar Team's training camp for the 2026 season, Raúl García Pierna spoke with MARCA, sharing his thoughts on joining the team and his feelings about the move. He also spoke about his expectations for the upcoming season, where expectations are high.

"So far, the preparation is going quite well, and I'm very happy. Movistar Team is the highest-level team in Spain. The performance team is doing things right, and there's a group of riders, like Iván Romeo, Carlos Canal, Javier Romo,… with whom we can achieve great things. It's a project that appeals to me," Pierna began explaining.

One of the areas where Movistar's signing stands out most is in time trials. In 2022, he was crowned Spanish champion, and in the 2025 season, he won the time trial in the opening stage of the Route d'Occitanie. Therefore, much is expected of him and Iván Romeo in this discipline. Even more so considering that the Tour de France will begin with a team time trial in Barcelona.

"Iván likes to work on time trials, and that's something that appeals to me too. I was with him in the room at the World Championships [2025], but we didn't really go into much detail about it," Raúl García Pierna added.

Finally, the Spanish rider also commented on the disbandment of Arkéa - B&B Hotels. Even though he's moved to Movistar Team, he still feels sad to see how a team he spent two years with couldn't find funding to keep the project afloat:

"It's a structure that employed 150 people, along with their families, who depended on it for their livelihood. In the end, it's a shame to see such a big team disappear, and it's not good for the world of cycling. I was with them for two years, and they allowed me to ride two Tours de France. It's a pity," he concluded.