OFFICIAL: Paula Blasi joins Movistar on three-year deal as Vuelta winner's transfer saga ends
Cycling
Movistar Team has finally made official the signing of one of the biggest names in women’s cycling in recent years. Paula Blasi will race for the Spanish team for the next three seasons, through 2029, after a spectacular breakthrough at the top level. She has won La Vuelta Femenina, claimed Amstel Gold Race victory and established herself among the leading riders on the international scene.
Blasi’s move to Movistar is a major investment in a rider who has gone from amateur racing to a string of top international results in just two seasons. Her progress has been particularly striking since turning professional in 2025 with UAE Team ADQ’s development squad, while also making appearances for the first team. In May that year, she officially stepped up to the WorldTour and began to fulfil the promise she had shown in her early races.
Before making that move, the Esplugues de Llobregat rider ended 2024 as the Catalan time trial and road race champion, and finished fourth at the Tour de l’Avenir.
Her first season among the professionals brought four victories, including a stage at the Tour de Romandie, where she also placed fourth overall. She added the under-23 European road title and a bronze medal at the category’s World Championships.
Paula Blasi finished fifth at the Tour de France Femmes
A 2026 season that put her among the world’s best
Paula Blasi made her major breakthrough in 2026. She signalled her form from the opening races, taking third in the Santos Women’s Tour Down Under overall before raising her game during the spring classics. Her Amstel Gold Race victory was one of the year’s first major highlights. The Spaniard attacked 26 kilometres from the finish and held on alone for one of the biggest wins of her career.
Her Ardennes campaign confirmed that the performance was no one-off. Three days after winning Amstel, she finished third at La Flèche Wallonne, then took fifth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, her first Monument. Blasi had established herself as a rider capable of challenging for victory in some of the most prestigious races on the calendar.
Her biggest result of the season, however, was still to come. On her Grand Tour debut, the Catalan won the general classification at La Vuelta Femenina, becoming the first Spanish rider to win the race. The victory took shape over the final two mountain stages, where she climbed back up the standings against several of the pre-race favourites.
She finished second at Les Praeres, just 18 seconds behind Anna van der Breggen. The following day, on the Angliru, she delivered a decisive performance to overturn the general classification and claim the red jersey. The win confirmed her ability to perform in major stage races and raised expectations for her future even further.
More stage-race wins and fifth place at the Tour de France
Winning La Vuelta Femenina did not end her remarkable run. A few weeks later, Blasi claimed another stage race, the CIC-Tour Féminin des Pyrénées, where she also won a stage with an impressive ride on the Tourmalet. She then excelled at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, a particularly meaningful race for her as it was held in her home region.
The Esplugues de Llobregat rider put on a show on the stage finishing in La Molina, then sealed the overall victory the next day in Barcelona. It was another stage-race triumph in a season that had already shown her ability to excel in both one-day classics and stage races.
Her next major challenge was the Tour de France Femmes, a race she had not specifically targeted as one of her main goals for the season. Even so, Blasi once again performed at the highest level, finishing fifth overall. She grew stronger as the race progressed and capped it with an impressive second place on the final stage, which finished in Nice.
Her 2026 results have made her one of the leading figures in the women’s peloton and explain Movistar Team’s interest in bringing her into the project. The Spaniard arrives having proved she can compete for wins across different terrain and take on both the toughest classics and Grand Tours with confidence.
Movistar strengthens its project with a champion for the present and future
Paula Blasi’s arrival gives a further boost to the Movistar Team women’s squad, which has steadily strengthened its presence in the international peloton since its launch in 2018. The reigning La Vuelta Femenina champion will join riders such as Marlen Reusser and Liane Lippert, adding to a roster that combines experience, talent and sporting ambition.
The signing also fits the team’s commitment to young prospects. Movistar Team currently has the last three junior road race world champions on its roster: Cat Ferguson, winner in 2024; Paula Ostiz, champion in 2025; and Alejandra Neira, who became world champion this Friday in Montreal. Blasi’s arrival adds another rider to that group who has already shown she can turn talent into the biggest results in professional cycling.
Blasi said she needed to take a different step in her career and find a team that shared her ambitions. “I’ve reached a point in my sporting career where I needed to take a different step, find a team that believed in me, supported my goals and was as ambitious as I am,” she said.
Blasi also highlighted the chance to share responsibilities with some of the team’s leading riders and learn from them over the coming seasons. “I’ll be able to grow, share leadership and learn from Marlen, which will be important for my development as an athlete. And it’s the home team, so wearing the jersey makes me even prouder,” she added.
With a contract for the next three seasons, Paula Blasi begins a new chapter after a year that has transformed her standing in the sport. Movistar Team has signed the winner of La Vuelta Femenina and a rider who has already won some of the biggest races on the calendar. The challenge now is to sustain that progress and continue building a palmarès that, at just 23, already places her among the biggest names in women’s cycling.
Jorge BorregueroWriter
Jorge Borreguero is a journalist with a degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and has been a writer for Cyclinguptodate and Ciclismoaldia since early 2023. In this role, he has played a key part in the evolution of the website, particularly as a specialist covering Movistar Team. He regularly writes race reports, analytical pieces, and in-depth features about the team, and has conducted exclusive interviews and attended multiple team presentations, providing readers with firsthand insights into one of the leading professional cycling squads.
Throughout his career, Jorge has maintained a strong focus on sports journalism, gaining experience across a variety of disciplines, including basketball and football. However, his current work is almost entirely dedicated to cycling, contributing extensively to Ciclismoaldia and its sister website Cyclinguptodate. For these platforms, he combines thorough research with detailed reporting to deliver high-quality content, ranging from race previews and results to expert analysis of teams and riders.
Jorge’s reporting is marked by accuracy, depth, and a commitment to providing readers with reliable and authoritative information. His direct engagement with teams, athletes, and events ensures that his coverage reflects firsthand knowledge and professional insight. Through his work, he has established himself as a trusted voice in professional cycling journalism, bridging the gap between the sport and its global audience while maintaining rigorous editorial standards.
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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