Movistar Team will lean on its younger riders for this weekend's racing block after injuries forced a reshuffle of its March plans. Iván Romeo (Movistar Team) has been handed the leadership role at Paris–Nice, which starts on Sunday, March 8, while Roger Adrià (Movistar Team) will spearhead the team's challenge at Strade Bianche on Saturday.
The changes stem from Cian Uijtdebroeks' (Movistar Team) continued recovery from a crash during the third stage of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in February - when we reported on the uncertainty of his Paris-Nice attendance. Diagnostic tests confirmed a fissure in the head of the radius in his left elbow, and while team medical staff described the injury as a "short setback" rather than a serious fracture, it has disrupted his early-season preparation. By late February, the 23-year-old Belgian had completed only his second outdoor training session since the crash.
Movistar is expected to wait until the final days before the Paris–Nice start to make a definitive call on Uijtdebroeks, according to AS, though internal expectations lean toward a withdrawal. If he misses the Race to the Sun, his return to competition would likely shift to the Volta a Catalunya (March 23–29) or the Itzulia Basque Country (April 6) as he builds toward his primary objective: the Tour de France in July.
Sports director Pablo Lastras said the team would take a patient approach. "He values where he comes from and he's really appreciating where he is now," Lastras said. "We haven't been able to get much more out of him yet because of this injury, but it will come, and he's ready for it."
Romeo faces a Paris–Nice field that includes Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike), João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) and Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). The race represents the Spaniard's most high-profile GC leadership assignment to date.
Meanwhile, veteran leader Enric Mas (Movistar Team) is progressing through a recovery and build-up phase targeting a Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España double later this season, leaving the spring calendar firmly in the hands of the team's younger riders.
Movistar's final Paris–Nice roster is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.
Cover image credit: Chris Auld/SWpix.com
