Alejandro Valverde to head up Movistar Team Gravel Squad
Movistar road racer Iván García Cortina and Movistar eTeam racers Ana Dillana and Hayley Simmonds will join the retired WorldTour pro on the dirt.
Another one bites the dust — literally.
Alejandro Valverde has become the latest WorldTour veteran to pursue gravel racing after road retirement.
On Tuesday, Movistar Team, where the 42-year-old Spaniard spent the last decade of his career, announced that it will support the Movistar Team Gravel Squad in 2023 with Valverde at the helm.
He’ll be joined by Iván García Cortina, who also races on the road for the Spanish squad, as well as Ana Dillana and Hayley Simmonds, who race for the Movistar eTeam.
Valverde, Dillana, and Simmonds will make their debut on dirt at La Indomable, a gravel race in Almería, Spain on April 23. A week later, García Cortina will join the trio at the Traka in Girona.
According to the squad, more riders and events will be announced soon.