Movistar Team relies on Cian Uijtdebroeks to lead their assault on the 2026 Tour de France

The Movistar Team has already revealed the lineup with which it will face the Tour de France 2026 and does so with a clear leader for the general classification. The Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks will lead the telephone formation in an edition that will start this Saturday in Barcelona and will mark the 44th participation of the Spanish structure in the Grande Boucle.

Movistar Team bets on Cian Uijtdebroeks to lead its project in the Tour de France 2026

At 23 years old, Uijtdebroeks will take on the responsibility of leading the team in the most important race on the calendar for the first time. The Belgian arrives after confirming his progression during the first half of the season, with outstanding performances in both the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour Auvernia-Rhône-Alpes, where he finished eighth and seventh respectively. This is despite a fall suffered in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana that disrupted part of his preparation during February.

The Belgian rider already knows what it means to perform in a grand tour. In 2023, he managed to finish eighth in the general classification of the Vuelta a España and has since been considered one of the most promising talents in the international peloton. Now he will have the opportunity to measure his aspirations in a race marked by the presence of names like Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, or Remco Evenepoel.

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To support him in the mountains, Movistar will have two reliable climbers. Einer Rubio, recently renewed until 2028, will again be one of the team's main assets in the most demanding stages after a Giro d'Italia in which he was one of the most combative riders. Alongside him will be Jefferson Cepeda, who will debut in the Tour de France after having signed a remarkable seventh place in the general classification of the Tour de Romandie.

The Spanish block will also play an important role. Pablo Castrillo arrives strengthened after recently being crowned Spanish time trial champion and after having left good impressions during the season, while Raúl García Pierna will face his third Tour de France having become one of the most versatile riders on the team. Javier Romo completes the national representation after recovering from the illness that forced him to abandon the Giro and after showing competitiveness in events like the Itzulia.

The experience will fall on Nelson Oliveira. The Portuguese will compete in his tenth Tour de France and will reach the figure of 24 grand tours in his professional career, with the impressive fact of not having abandoned any of them. His role will be key both on and off the road to guide a team that mixes youth and experience.

The lineup will be completed by Michel Hessmann. The German, who recently extended his contract until 2027, will debut in the Tour de France after establishing himself as a reliable piece within the team led by Eusebio Unzué.

The 2026 edition will start in Barcelona with a 19.4-kilometer team time trial. It will be the third time that the French round begins in Spain after the departures from San Sebastián in 1992 and Bilbao in 2023.

Movistar Team lineup for the Tour de France 2026

1. Cian Uijtdebroeks
2. Raúl García Pierna
3. Pablo Castrillo
4. Einer Rubio
5. Javier Romo
6. Nelson Oliveira
7. Jefferson Cepeda
8. Michel Hessmann