Fernando Gaviria has joined the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA team for 2026, sharing his sprinting experience with the team's young roster, while targeting a victory at the Vuelta a España to complete his set of Grand Tour stage wins.
31-year-old Gaviria has raced for Movistar for the last three seasons but has struggled to replicate the sprint success of his early career years. His last victory was at Tour Colombia in 2024, but he secured a number of placings, often by starting his sprint early. He was second and third in two sprints at the 2024 Tour de France but did not ride a Grand Tour in 2025.
Movistar opted to extend Nairo Quintana's contract for 2026 and signed Cian Uijtdebroeks, but there was no place for Gaviria. Caja Rural offered him a lifeline to continue his career.
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"What most motivated me to join Caja Rural–Seguros RGA was the conversation I had with the team, which gave me a feeling that I was welcome in the team," Gaviria said.
"From now on, my goal is to work hard, help the team do everything they can, and try to achieve some victories. Competing in a Grand Tour would be special, and trying to win a stage in all three Grand Tours at the Vuelta a España would be truly exciting."
Gaviria began his career on the track and turned professional with Etixx-Quick Step in 2016. He won four stages at the 2017 Giro d'Italia and the points jersey. He then won two stages at the 2018 Tour de France and wore the yellow jersey for a day.
He left QuickStep for UAE Team Emirates in 2019 but was one of the first riders to contract COVID-19 at the 2020 UAE Tour and spent four weeks in hospital isolation in the early days of the global pandemic.
The Colombian recovered to win three races when the season resumed that summer, but then tested positive for COVID-19 again at the pandemic-delayed Giro d’Italia. He moved to Movistar in 2023 but has never quite got back to his previous best. He recently got married in Colombia during the off-season and hopes to reboot his career by stepping down to the Pro Team level.
Caja Rural said Gaivira would team up with their Portuguese sprinter Iúri Leitão and also lead the team's battle for UCI ranking points to ensure they remain in the top-30 ranked teams each year and are eligible to ride a Grand Tour.
The Spanish ProTeam has also signed Italy's Stefano Oldani from Cofidis and a number of riders from their development team for 2026, creating a 28-rider roster. The USA's Tyler Stites is again part of the team roster for 2026, while Britain's Calum Johnston has joined the Chinese Li Ning Star continental team.
