MARCA reports that Blasi will earn 600,000 euros per season in three-year deal with Movistar, making her one of women’s cycling’s highest-paid riders.
Pauli Blasi will race the next three seasons with Movistar. (Photo: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Updated October 21, 2026 11:56AM
Paula Blasi is off to Movistar on a blockbuster three-year deal to give the Spanish squad a homegrown contender to challenge the biggest names in women’s racing.
Movistar confirmed Wednesday that the 23-year-old will join from UAE Team L’IMAD in 2027 on a contract through 2029, ending months of speculation over one of the season’s most coveted signatures.
And the Spanish team is opening its wallet to make it happen.
According to MARCA, Movistar agreed to pay €85,000 to release Blasi from her UAE contract, which ran through 2027, and will pay her about €600,000 per season.
That puts its reported salary commitment above €1.8 million across three years and instantly making her one of women’s cycling’s highest-paid riders.
Movistar has not disclosed the financial terms, but Blasi’s arrival puts the Spanish team right in the middle of the race for the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
“I’m at a point in my sporting career where I needed to take a different step and look for a team that believed in me, supported my goals and was as ambitious as I am,” Blasi said in Movistar’s official announcement.
Breakout 2026 for Blasi
Blasi won La Vuelta in her breakout 2026 season. (Photo: Miguel RIOPA / AFP via Getty Images)
Blasi enjoyed a breakout 2026 in only her second professional season.
She won Amstel Gold Race and then rode away with the La Vuelta Femenina to make her one of the most-prized signatures on the transfer market.
Despite some tension, she rode to fifth in her Tour de France Femmes debut while helping UAE teammate Elisa Longo Borghini reach the podium.
Now she joins Marlen Reusser and Liane Lippert in a Movistar lineup with several ways to attack the biggest races.
For Blasi, the attraction extends beyond the paycheck.
MARCA reported that UAE offered more money to retain her, but she chose Movistar after negotiations involving her agent Alex Carera, who also represents Tadej Pogačar, and team manager Sebastián Unzué.
“I’ll be able to grow, share leadership responsibilities and learn from Marlen, which will be important for my development as an athlete,” Blasi said. “And on top of that, it’s my home team. It makes me even prouder to wear the jersey.”
A Spanish star for Movistar’s next chapter
Blasi confirmed her promise with fifth in her Tour de France Femmes debut. (Photo: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
With Blasi, Movistar now packs a rider who could shape its women’s team for years.
Since Annemiek van Vleuten retired in 2023, the squad has worked to build another squad capable of winning across the grand tours and classics.
Blasi brings both the climbing legs and the attacking instinct to give Movistar options against rivals like Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma at the season’s biggest races.
“We are incredibly happy to finally announce Paula’s arrival on our team for the next three seasons,” Unzué said.
“Her contract represents a new step forward in terms of quality, allowing us to compete in the most important races on the calendar. I want to thank Paula for her trust and her belief in this project. We can’t wait to get started together.”
Blasi burst onto the scene in 2026. Now for the next three years, she will be racing on the Spanish WorldTour team, and chase cycling’s biggest prizes.
And after Enric Mas won its first men’s grand tour since 2019 at La Vuelta a España, the Movistar “blues” are back.