Movistar Team have announced that they are launching a new women’s team for the 2018 season. The news was announced at the central headquarters of Telefonica after the Vuelta a España.
According to a statement from the team: “The birth of this squad is a boost from Telefónica and Abarca Sports to the strength of women’s cycling in Spain, committed to offer Spanish riders the best conditions possible to compete in the international peloton, with the same equipment the men’s team uses.”
Movistar will also collaborate with the Spanish Cycling Federation on several projects to foster grassroots cycling in the country, aiming to reach 1.9 million women on bikes in the future.
An official statement from the Federation said: “this project will revitalise women’s cycling as a whole in Spain, offering more visibility to both races and sportswomen and attracting new sponsors.”
The team also unveiled their new kit from Endura which is set to be worn next year by both the long-established men’s WorldTour outfit and the new UCI women’s squad. The shorts remain the same dark blue chosen for previous seasons, with a new light blue used for the jersey. Improving visibility of riders on the road is given as one of the reasons for the change to light blue.
The event was headlined by the presence of Carlos López Blanco, Telefónica’s General Director of Public Affairs and Regulation; Eusebio Unzué, General Manager of the Movistar Team; and Alejandro Valverde, still recovering from his injuries sustained at a crash on stage one of the Tour de France.
