World champion Alejandro Valverde, Nairo Quintana and Mikel Landa are all set to line up for Movistar at the Tour de France 2019.
In last year's edition the trio shared team leadership responsibilities, operating as a trident of GC options, which ultimately failed to deliver, with Landa, Quintana and Valverde finishing seventh, 10th and 14th respectively.
Movistar's Tour de France pre-selection was revealed by Spanish radio station Cope (opens in new tab), naming nine riders, one of whom will be cut before the race begins in July.
The other six riders vying for a sport are Marc Soler, Winner Anacona, Nelson Oliveira, Imanol Erviti, Andrey Amador and Carlos Verona.
According to a Dutch journalist (opens in new tab), Quintana and Landa both have aspirations to win the general classification and will be vying to be the team leader, while Alejandro Valverde will ride in support of the team.
Movistar can already claim a successful 2019 campaign after victory at the Giro d'Italia 2019 through the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, who picked up his first Grand Tour victory.
Quintana and Landa will face a field packed with GC talent, with Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas also facing an intra-team battle for leadership responsibilities at Ineos.
Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb), Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo), Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana), Primož Roglič and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) will also all compete for the yellow jersey in July.
Movistar face an eventful summer, with their top riders subject to speculation that they may be moving on, with Nairo Quintana rumoured to be joining André Greipel's Arkéa Samsic, Mikel Landa apparently off to Bahrain-Merida (as Vincenzo Nibali is supposedly going to Trek-Segafredo) and Richard Carapaz saying he wants to stay at the Spanish outfit despite rumours of a big-money Ineos deal.
Enric Mas has also been rumoured to be making the move from Deceuninck - Quick-Step to Movistar at the end of the season.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
Developing great bike racers and good people - Jonathan Vaughters and Rusty Miller have big goals for the EF Education-ONTO junior program
In partnering with the ONTO Junior Racing Program, EF Education becomes the only WorldTour program with a junior team.
-
Wout van Aert v. Mathieu van der Poel - a truly rare and iconic sporting rivalry
As the duo continue to trade blows on the biggest of stages, their rivalry will go down in history as one of cycle racings greatest
-
Women’s WorldTour calendar 'a mess' and 'a nonsense' says Movistar boss
The UCI must invest in the bottom of the pyramid to ensure the sport’s future says Sebastián Unzué
-
Movistar quick to quash Mark Cavendish signing report
Italian press speculation over future of sprinter denied by Spanish team
-
Van Vleuten confirms her superiority with Ceratizit Challenge GC victory
Elisa Balsamo takes the final stage bunch kick on the Madrid circuit after consummate work from Trek-Segafredo
-
Silvia Persico takes Ceratizit Challenge stage victory after a tense aggressive final
Olympic champion Anna Kiesenhofer comes close to pulling off a repeat of her Tokyo triumph with a 158km solo break
-
Van Vleuten in a class of her own winning the second stage of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta
The Movistar rider attacked on the penultimate climb dropping all her rivals to take the overall lead with three stages remaining
-
Attack to defend: Van Vleuten on the edge of Tour de France greatness
Anything can happen, say Movistar but he team are confident Annemiek van Vleuten will ride into history on Sunday’s final Tour de France Femmes stage
-
The mountains are coming: Tour de France Femmes favourites predict what's going to happen
Riders predict Saturday’s seventh stage will be the toughest of the race, but GC will be decided on Sunday at Super Planche des Belles Filles
-
Van Vleuten confirms her third Giro Donne victory
The Dutch rider finishes safely in the bunch while Chiara Consonni takes the final stage
