Movistar Team, with 44 previous participations, has announced the eight cyclists who will compete in the Tour de France, taking place from July 4th to 26th. This year, the Grand Départ is hosted in Barcelona, and the team selected the iconic Palau de la Música for their official team photograph.
The last-minute withdrawal of young rider Iván Romeo, who has not fully recovered from the flu, has altered the team's plans. Romeo, considered the natural leader, will not be part of the squad. Consequently, the leadership role will fall to 23-year-old Belgian rider Cian Uijtdebroeks. Uijtdebroeks will debut at the Tour aiming to replicate his strong performances this season at the Volta, where he finished eighth, and the Dauphiné, where he secured seventh place.
Meanwhile, Pablo Castrillo, the recent Spanish time trial champion, will be the team's key rider in the timed stages. Castrillo will have opportunities in the team time trial in Barcelona on July 4th and in the individual time trial on July 21st, covering 26 kilometers between Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains. The rider from Jaca, who won two stages in the 2024 Vuelta a España, aims to achieve his first Tour stage victory in this, his second participation.
The eight cyclists selected by Movistar Team for the 2026 Tour de France are: Cian Uijtdebroeks (Belgium), Pablo Castrillo (Spain), Raúl Garcia Pierna (Spain), Javier Romo (Spain), Nelson Oliveira (Portugal), Michel Hessmann (Germany), Jefferson Cepeda (Ecuador), and Einer Rubio (Colombia).
