Valverde appointed Spain’s new national coach, Contador optimistic about future of Spanish cycling based on Italy and France

Former cyclist Alejandro Valverde has been appointed as the new national coach of the Spanish cycling team, which he confirmed to a Spanish newspaper. The 44-year-old from Murcia succeeds Pascual Momparler, who had held the position since 2019. Meanwhile, Contador remains unconcerned about the future of Spanish cycling and has ambitious plans with his team.

The appointment of Valverde had been in the air for some time. Now, the Spaniard has confirmed to AS that he will take on the role of national coach. "I knew it was a matter of time. It’s a nice challenge, and in the end, experience matters a lot. Not only because I’ve won the World Championship, but also because I’m the rider with the most medals in history. That says something. Being a rider isn’t the same as being a national coach, but there are definitely similarities."

His new role as national coach comes with a busy schedule. "But my work mostly consists of attending various races, key competitions, following the riders, and organizing some training camps. You always need to stay in dialogue with the riders. I was a rider myself until recently, and to perform well, there has to be a balance between what you say and what they say so that they feel comfortable," Valverde explained his vision.

Despite his new role, Valverde will remain involved with the Movistar team as an ambassador, advisor, and gravel racer. He believes and hopes that has different roles can coexist.

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Alberto Contador 

According to Contador, Spain has little to complain about at the moment

Valverde made these statements at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid, where Alberto Contador was also present. Contador spoke with Marca about the state of Spanish cycling and the pool of talent Valverde will soon have at his disposal. A few days earlier, Miguel Indurain also weighed in on the topic. "It’s hard to say if there will be a rider who can compete for general classification victories in Grand Tours for years to come, let alone actually win them. Right now, two riders, Pogacar and Vingegaard, stand out above the rest. However, it’s also true that their dominance won’t last forever," Contador noted.

From Spain, Contador has high expectations for Juan Ayuso and Carlos Rodriguez. "I think they still have a lot of room for improvement. Besides them, there are also other riders, like Pablo Torres, who can achieve great things. We’ll have to see how they develop, but I’m optimistic."

Contador also pointed out that older champions are often overlooked. "I look a lot at the French peloton and especially the Italian peloton, and I think that right now, we in Spain have little to complain about. We’re always present in the Grand Tours, fighting for the top ten and even for podium spots, because (Mikel, ed.) Landa and (Enric, ed.) Mas ensure we remain competitive."

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Team Polti Kometa in 2024

Polti Visit Malta has WorldTour ambitions 

The 42-year-old Contador also commented on his own team, which recently welcomed a new title sponsor. "For us, this is a crucial sponsor to keep the team viable. It’s a reliable support, which is why it’s become the main name: Polti Visit Malta. This gives us the security and stability to continue the project. We live in a world where finding sponsors is challenging, whether a team is in the WorldTour or not."

Last last bit is something that El Pistolero isn't just casually mentioning, by the way. "This support and continuity allow us to further build the project. Why not consider the possibility of making the leap to the WorldTour?"

Contador’s brother, Fran Contador, who is also the general manager of the Italian cycling team, echoed this sentiment. "The goal is to make the transition to the WorldTour. We’ve gained experience as a UCI Pro Team, both in terms of sports and management, as well as the entire structure. What we still need now are the resources — in this case, funding and a sponsor — to make that step to the higher category," he told Marca.

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