New Repsol-Movistar team?

The oil company Repsol would be the new sponsor that Eusebio Unzue was looking for to put Movistar on the same level as UAE, Jumbo and Ineos after a few seasons in which the oldest structure of the peloton has had a discreet role even having had to fight for almost the whole season to stay in the World Tour.

A boost for Movistar Team with the possible arrival of Repsol as a sponsor

Last night in the world of Spanish cycling the topic of conversation was unique and the news spread like wildfire. According to information revealed by the channel Onda Cero, the oil company Repsol, following the path marked by its counterpart INEOS, would enter cycling as main co-sponsor of Movistar Team.

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A move that, moreover, could be within the realms of possibility when a few months ago both companies, Telefónica and Repsol, announced the creation of Solar360, a new company dedicated to the solar energy business and, on the other hand, when Eusebio Unzue himself commented in some interviews during the final part of La Vuelta that he was working on the incorporation of a new sponsor.

Finally it seems that it will be Repsol who will provide that breath of fresh air in the financials that Movistar Team needed so badly and they are talking about practically doubling the current budget, which is around 18 million euros. A budget that would still not match the level of INEOS Grenadiers, Jumbo-Visma or UAE Team Emirates, although it would leave Eusebio Unzue's squad in a position to acquire top cyclists and thus return Movistar Team to the top level of the peloton.

In any case, the 2023 season is expected to be one of transition, without the possibility of making any notable signings at this stage, and where the incorporation of Fernando Gaviria seems to be the most noteworthy. However, this economic boost would have led Eusebio Unzue's team to start looking at Carlos Rodríguez with a view to adding him to the squad in 2024 after his contract with INEOS Grenadiers expires next year.

It is not yet known what the name of the team would be in this new phase, although everything suggests that the name chosen would be Solar 360, the new company that Repsol and Telefónica share 50%.

Although the information provided by Onda Cero gave as a certainty the new incorporation of Repsol as a sponsor, in the last hours Movistar sources, when asked by Eurosport about it, denied the information revealed yesterday afternoon, leaving an uncertainty about the final resolution of this matter.