Valverde, Mas, Lopez lead Movistar at Vuelta a España

Movistar announced their eight-rider roster for the Vuelta a España, set to start on August 14 with an eight-kilometre time trial in Burgos. Alejandro Valverde, Enric Mas and Miguel Angel Lopez will lead the team at the three-week Grand Tour on home soil.

All three riders have stood on the overall podium in recent editions of the Vuelta a España, with Valverde finishing second in 2019, Mas second in 2018 while racing for QuickStep, and Lopez third the same year while racing for Astana.

The team will also include Imanol Erviti, Gregor Mühlberger, Nelson Oliveira, José Joaquín Rojas, and Carlos Verona.

Valverde, by far with the most experience, has competed in 14 editions of the Vuelta a España, winning the overall title in 2009 and standing on the podium on six other occasions.

All three riders lined up to compete at the Tour de France with Mas finishing sixth overall and Valverde 24th. However, Lopez didn't start stage 19, leaving early to focus on the Tokyo Olympic Games.

It will be the 42nd consecutive appearance for Movistar at the Vuelta a España. According to a team press release, they haven't missed the race since the team's inception under Reynolds - Benotto in 1980. 

They have now been 11 years under Telefónica's sponsorship with a decorated history that includes four overall victories - Pedro Delgado (1989), Abraham Olano (1998), Alejandro Vavlerde (2009) and Nairo Quintana (2016) - as well as 13 podiums, 63 stage wins and 12 team victories.