‘It was clear Movistar was the team to go to’ – Cian Uijtdebroeks nears end of chapter with Visma at Tour of Guangxi after breaking contract to pursue Grand Tours on new team

After breaking another contract early and being announced for a shock move to Movistar in 2026, Cian Uijtdebroeks is looking to end his time with Visma-Lease a Bike on a positive note at the Tour of Guangxi.

He arrived in China straight from finishing tenth at Il Lombardia, having also taken eighth at the Giro dell’Emilia and rode well in support of Remco Evenepoel at the Rwanda World Championships in recent weeks.

Unlike his messy divorce from Bora-Hansgrohe to join Visma two years prior, Uijtdebroeks‘ move away from the Dutch squad has been largely amicable, with team boss Richard Plugge even being quoted in the Movistar press release after the transfer was announced.

“The honest story is that Cian’s ambitions and those of the team started to diverge,” said Visma boss Plugge. “At this time, we can’t offer Cian the role and match schedule he believes are essential for his development.”

Uijtdebroeks, who has rediscovered his best form in recent months after two seasons filled with bad luck, injuries and a nerve problem that left him with ‘numb legs’ for much of 2025, has confirmed it was about his Grand Tour ambitions, knowing that the big three-week tests are where he wants to apply his trade best.

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“I think it’s been really positive [the reaction to his transfer]. I think they all understand, and the reason was pretty clear,” Uijtdebroeks told Cyclingnews before stage 1 in China.

“I want to ride GC at the big Grand Tours and go there for GC, and this was just not an option, or a difficult option, in Visma. So it was all pretty clear that Movistar was the team to go to, also because they really want to develop me in this and give me full support.”

Before he heads into the off-season and begins his transition over to Movistar as one of the Spanish squad’s main leaders, the 22-year-old will be looking to get the engine firing on all cylinders one last time in Guangxi, with the queen fifth stage to NongLa set to decide things.

“For sure it was tricky travelling here because we still had that pretty tough race on Saturday [Il Lombardia], but I could sleep a bit on the way and during the first night, so it must be good,” he said.

“For sure, the first few days will really be about focusing, with how every stage is important, even the sprints, but luckily, the key stage is a bit later in the week, so that’s good for me.”

Uijtdebroeks has made it through the opening two sprint stages unscathed in Guangxi, but will need to navigate two more undulating tests on Thursday and Friday before reaching the key climbing stage and GC decider this weekend.