Reigning Vuelta Femenina champion Paula Blasi has signed for Movistar for 2027, and the next three seasons, the Spanish Women's WorldTour team confirmed on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old announced back in September that she would be leaving UAE Team L'IMAD a year earlier than contracted, and that she had signed for a new team in 2027, but while it was widely reported that it would be Movistar, that wasn't confirmed until now.
Scorching a rapid path to becoming one of the best riders in the world, Blasi took massive victories at the Vuelta and Amstel Gold Race in just her first full season as a pro this year, also finishing fifth overall on debut at the Tour de France Femmes, and taking top-five finishes at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, La Flèche Wallonne, and the Tour Down Under.
"I'm at a point in my sporting career where I needed to take a different step and look for a team that believed in me, supported my goals and was as ambitious as I am," said Blasi.
"I'll be able to grow, share leadership responsibilities and learn from Marlen, which will be important for my development as an athlete. And on top of that, it's my home team. It makes me even prouder to wear the jersey."
Movistar described the arrival of Blasi as a further strengthening of "its commitment to women's cycling and to building a project capable of uniting the present and the future," adding her talent to the likes of established leaders Marlen Reusser and Liane Lippert, and rising young stars like Cat Ferguson, Paula Ostiz, and Alejandra Neira.
"We're extremely excited to finally announce Paula's arrival to our team for the next three seasons," said team boss Sebastián Unzué.
"Her signing represents another step forward in quality, allowing us to compete for the most important races on the calendar. I want to thank Paula for her trust and for believing in this project. We can't wait to start working together. Welcome, Paula!"
More to follow...
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