Telefónica announced today the extension of their sponsorship agreement with the Movistar Team, which will prolong its commitment with the Spanish outfit through the end of the 2021 season, for both its men’s roster and the recently-established women’s outfit.
Movistar has been the team’s main backer for the last eight seasons, giving life to a legendary organisation in cycling, which will reach its 40th year of uninterrupted pro activity in 2019.
During those eight years, the Movistar Team has reached the top of the UCI WorldTour ranking four times (2013 to 2016); won two Grand Tours (2014 Giro d’Italia, 2016 Vuelta a España); claimed eleven podium finishes at GTs, two World Championships victories (Alejandro Valverde, 2018, and Rui Costa, 2013), a UCI Hour Record (2015) and 27 national titles.
Its 257 individual victories have been obtained at five continents, including top-level, one-day classics and nearly all main World Tour stageraces.
Alejandro Valverde (a three-time UCI World / WorldTour ranking winner / leader and a podium finisher in all three Grand Tours) and Nairo Quintana (winner of Giro + Vuelta, and a three-time Tour de France podium finisher) are the riders who have obtained the biggest success for the Movistar Team. “Their individual triumphs are a consequence of their ambition and the whole team’s great work, a value which Telefónica identifies itself profoundly with,” said Telefónica’s global partnerships manager Rafael Fernández de Alarcón. “We also want to thank the team’s closure with their audience, the millions of fans who get to the roads around the world to cheer them on, or follow them through television and social media.”
For Eusebio Unzué, general manager of the Movistar Team, “Telefónica’s support was key to obtaining those results, especially considering that their backing started in a particularly difficult moment for our sport. Our commitment is to continue to live up to the values of these big brands, and represent their employees and clients across the world.”
In addition to their sporting results, the Movistar Team’s presence in the international peloton has helped bolster cycling’s significance as a whole in several aspects:
The squad as been a firm supporter of Latin American cycling’s growth (with notable names including Nairo Quintana, Richard Carapaz, Andrey Amador or Winner Anacona). Latin America, a key region for the Movistar brand, has already become cycling’s second most relevant market in the world by number of spectators, only behind Europe.
They’ve taken massive efforts to ensure gender equality with the creation of a pro women’s team, which shares methods and infrastructure with the men’s team. As well as obtaining big results in its first year, the team has also become Movistar’s main influx of support to women’s cycling, the brand also involved in diverse programs together with the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation.
The continuous incorporation of new technologies to training methods, including analysis through Big Data, IoT sensors and cognitive systems to plan on the best approach to races for all team riders.
The promotion of cycling as a sport for all, through initiatives such as the Movistar Bike Festival, with gathered 50,000 people together in Madrid last October to unveil Alejandro Valverde’s rainbow jersey.
An additional impulse to awareness campaigns, directed to both cyclists and drivers, on the importance of mutual respect on the roads, under the slogan #RodamosJuntos.
The official launch of the #MovistarTeam2019 squad, next Tuesday at Madrid’s Telefónica HQ, will be shown live on the Movistar+ platform’s #Vamos channel and followed on social media. It will be the perfect to celebrate the extension of this partnership and continue to ‘ride together’.
Ron is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.
Websites:
Bike World News
Ron’s Bike Garage
Current Bike Quiver:
Bird Bikes Zero 29 29″ hardtail mountain bike
Commencal Absolut 26″ Dirt Jump/Pump Track bike
Commencal Tempo 29″ full suspension mountain bike
Felt ZA 700c race bike
Kona Kilauea vintage 26″ mountain bike
Niner RLT9 700c road/gravel bike
Specialized Stumpjumper vintage 26″ mountain bike
Day Job: Digital Marketing
Night Job: Digital Marketing, eCommerce Consultant, Web Consultant, Bike Shop Operator, Husband, Dad, Tenor