![\"ivangarciacortina\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ivangarciacortina-67f3ce36cc3b3.jpg@webp.webp\")
<\/p>\n
\n\u201cA good year \u2013 but we were missing the icing on the cake\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a good season,\u201d Cortina explained. \u201cI was up there in the classics, with a top ten in Flanders, I won in Asturias, and at both the Tour and the Vuelta I worked hard for the team. Everyone was happy.”<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom both a sporting and attitude point of view, it was really positive \u2013 though we were missing the icing on the cake: a stage win in a Grand Tour. We deserved one at the Tour or the Vuelta, but it didn\u2019t come. Even so, we were competitive every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the lack of a headline result, the Movistar man insists morale within the team remains high. \u201cIn terms of attitude and commitment, it was a top year. The important thing is that the foundation is there. In 2026 we\u2019ll try to turn that into victories.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cortina in action during 2025<\/p>\n
Uijtdebroeks arrival brings optimism<\/p>\n
One of the major boosts to Movistar\u2019s confidence comes from their surprise winter signing \u2013 Cian Uijtdebroeks, poached from Team Visma | Lease a Bike in one of the transfer market\u2019s biggest shocks.<\/p>\n
\u201cCian\u2019s signing was a complete surprise \u2013 we didn\u2019t know anything,\u201d said Cortina. \u201cBut it\u2019s a fantastic addition. In the end, having more leadership options is a positive for the team. Enric and he can complement each other really well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Belgian talent is seen as a potential future Grand Tour star, and with Mas back on track after injury, Movistar suddenly look far stronger than in recent seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnric\u2019s fine and motivated\u201d<\/p>\n
Cortina revealed that team leader Enric Mas is recovering quickly after his crash in late summer. \u201cI was with Enric yesterday; he\u2019s already walking. He\u2019s got a few small cuts on his leg, but in about two weeks he\u2019ll be training again. He\u2019s fine and motivated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mas, a multiple Grand Tour podium finisher, is set to lead Movistar again next season, supported by a deeper roster and growing belief that they can challenge Pogacar\u2019s dominance.<\/p>\n
\u201cPogacar isn\u2019t unbeatable\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked about the world champion\u2019s incredible run of form in 2024 and 2025, Cortina was quick to praise but refused to concede defeat.<\/p>\n
\u201cPogacar is incredible. He\u2019s on his way to becoming the greatest rider in history. We\u2019re lucky to watch him, even if he keeps beating us,\u201d he said. \u201cBut no, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s unbeatable. Some years everything goes perfectly, and the next maybe not.”<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t normalise the extraordinary \u2013 it only comes around once in a long while,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The rise of new talents<\/p>\n
Cortina also had words of admiration for Isaac del Toro, the Mexican sensation who closed out his debut year with a string of victories. \u201cDel Toro ended the season winning almost everything. You could already see his level from Australia,\u201d Cortina said. \u201cBut people need to stop calling him or Seixas the next Pogacar \u2013 they\u2019re themselves. Everyone has to follow their own path. The same goes for Ayuso and Carlos Rodr\u00edguez.\u201d<\/p>\n
He warned against the pressure piled on young riders by comparisons to past greats. \u201cPeople put huge expectations on them, saying they have to be the new Contador, and that brings unnecessary pressure. I went through that myself. There comes a point where you lose your way until you realise the important thing is to enjoy yourself, look after yourself, and work hard. If you do that, the results take care of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cortina plans to take a slightly later start to the next campaign as he eyes another consistent season. \u201cI\u2019d like to start a bit later, maybe in Mallorca or Castell\u00f3n, and perhaps make my debut in Oman. Then Roubaix, a bit of rest, and a proper build-up for the second part of the year. This season I ended up with 87 days of racing and no mental fatigue \u2013 just a bit of physical tiredness. But I\u2019m one of those people who, when I stop, I start climbing the walls and don\u2019t know what to do without my bike.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Mas on the mend, Uijtdebroeks arriving, and morale high, Movistar enter 2026 determined to prove that Tadej Pogacar\u2019s reign is not as inevitable as it seems.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cA good year \u2013 but we were missing the icing on the cake\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s been a good…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":217430,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-217429","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=217429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/217430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}