Eusebio Unzué: “We are obliged to be ambitious and for real reasons”
BARCELONA, 20 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The manager of the Movistar Team, Eusebio Unzué, assured in the presentation of the men’s, women’s and eSports teams of the Spanish team for 2022 that they must be “ambitious” based on the improvements seen in 2021 and with some reinforcements, in the men’s team , designed to reinforce the leadership of Enric Mas and give the best possible farewell to Alejandro Valverde, who will use his ‘last Bullet’.
“We are obliged to be ambitious and for real reasons. This 2021 we are experiencing the progression of many of our youngsters, who are already prepared for very interesting moments to come to the team. The arrival of the new ones is going to be a very interesting reinforcement, and for On the other hand, the confirmation and progress of Enric makes us trust that he is a more self-confident man, prepared to lead this team and with the aim of winning the Grand Tours”, said Unzué.
From Alicante, where the team is focused on this preseason, Unzué also acknowledged that it will be a special 2022 due to the goodbye of Alejandro Valverde. “It will be Alejandro’s closing and we want to continue taking advantage of the privilege of continuing to enjoy what he brings to this team for another year. We all have to continue to be motivated and hand in hand on the path that Alejandro marks out for us, to continue enjoying the bicycle”, appealed.
“The passing of the year will leave important sporting moments and the farewell will be very emotional. Surely for the fans as well. I would like to take advantage of every moment with him to thank him for what he has given us in these 20 years, because he deserves it. That is why our idea is to cover the Spanish calendar and have him in most of the tests”, he predicted.
And it is that a cyclist is leaving who has given them more than 130 victories in three decades. “Since he arrived almost 19 years ago, and from the first year, wherever we went with him we had the chance to win. It has been a great privilege to be able to share so many years and so many sacrifices and joys with him, with that great person who is Alejandro. He has made a country excited about him for many years,” said Unzué.
The manager of the telephone team assured that Valverde will attend the Giro d’Italia with the minimum objective of achieving a stage and, as for the general, perhaps he will look more at the Vuelta a España, which will be his last great round since this year he will not will be in the Tour de Franica.
“Indeed, in the Giro it is to go with Alejandro and Iván. From the start, seeing how they are both, we thought about fighting for the general and in the specific case of Alejandro I would like him to enjoy and make us enjoy in any way. It is not the idea to start now with the aim of fighting for the general, although knowing how ambitious he is, there is no doubt that he will start as he finished. appealed.
In a presentation event that took place, despite being virtual, at TBS/Movistar+’s Michael Robinson Studio in Madrid –with Pedro Delgado and Mónica Marchante as presenters– and in Almería, with the presence of various members of the Spanish team , the person in charge of presenting the new jersey, from the firm La Passione, was the climber Carlos Verona, who highlighted its comfort and beauty.
Sebastián Unzué, responsible for the women’s team, was also present. “We started with the aim of supporting Spanish women’s cycling, with very young cyclists. We have been growing and 2021 was the turning point with the arrival of Annemiek Van Vleuten and Emma Norsgaard. Now we are going to a year in which we have very ambitious goals and very important challenges,” he said.
Sara Martín, a Spanish cyclist with a lot of potential ahead of her, or Lourdes Oyarbide, present since the beginning of the project, agreed that with Annemiek Van Vleuten they will once again experience great challenges. The Dutchwoman, precisely, pointed to the Tour de France as her great goal. “I like challenges and I will ride all three grand tours. I am looking forward to facing them. It will be a new goal for all of us, and I am very proud of the team and it motivates me enormously,” she assured.
Among the great novelties and additions to the Movistar Team in its 43rd season in professional cycling are the signings for the men’s team of Alex Aranburu, Will Barta, Max Kanter, Oier Lazkano, Vinícius Rangel, Óscar Rodríguez, Iván Sosa and the return of Gorka Izaguirre.