Movistar's new team leader may move out at the end of 2024

Oier Lazkano has shown his talent last year with a few quality wins including the Spanish national championships. He's been, so far, Movistar Team's best performing rider of the year but the team has no guarantees of keeping him beyond this season.

This is reported by Spanish news outlet AS. After a start to the season in Spain, Lazkano impressed by winning the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior, taking advantage of the lack of chase from the peloton to take a strong victory from the breakaway.

In the Opening Weekend he rode to third at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne. This had no breakaway involved however, he directly followed the attack of Wout van Aert far from the finish in an uphill cobbled sector, and together with him and Tim Wellens distanced the peloton by minutes. He wrapped up a podium spot and displayed another performance which makes it clear that he's the man to protect for the cobbled classics.

With his contract ending in 2024, the Spanish team has to pull out the big guns if it wants to keep it's new emerging talent. Despite being a heavyweight rider Lazkano has shown the capacity to climb short ascents alongside the best, and is currently under interests of several teams in the peloton.