Spanish champion Alex Aranburu will leave Movistar at the end of this season to join Cofidis, where he has signed a three-year contract.
Aranburu is the seventh new signing to be confirmed by Cofidis, who are undertaking an overhaul of their roster ahead of the new campaign. Other new arrivals include Emanuel Buchmann, Simon Carr and Dylan Teuns, while Guillaume Martin and Alex Zingle will both leave the team.
“I'm honoured and proud to welcome Alex Aranburu to Cofidis. He's a major new addition to our team, which needs to regain its rightful place in the world hierarchy,” said manager Cédric Vasseur in a statement on Wednesday.
“We're expecting a lot from our 2025 squad, and Alex will be sharing leadership in one-day races with Dylan Teuns. Having the Spanish champion in our ranks is an extra motivation for the whole team and we want to establish ourselves at the highest level.”
Aranburu has claimed eight wins as a professional, including a stage of the 2021 Itzulia Basque Country, and he has shown himself to be adept at collecting UCI points on punchy terrain. He was an aggressive presence on this year’s Tour de France, where he placed fourth on the gravel stage to Troyes.
After beginning his career with Caja Rural in 2017, Aranburu graduated to the WorldTour with Astana in 2020 before transferring to Movistar two years later. He will join a Cofidis squad that already includes compatriots Ion Izagirre and Jesus Herrada.
“I know that it will be a big change for me personally and that I'll have to adapt, but I'm very happy with the trust Cofidis has placed in me and I'll do everything I can to live up to it,” Aranburu said.
“I've already had responsibilities and it's a pleasure to have new ones. Every year, I try to improve, to give everything and to win more races. That will be my motivation in every race I take part in, whether it's the classics or the Grand Tours.”
