Colombian climbing specialist Miguel Angel Lopez signs for Movistar Team

Madrid: Colombian climbing specialist Miguel Angel Lopez will ride for Movistar next season after five years at Astana, his new team announced on Tuesday. Lopez, 26, finished third at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana in 2018, and won a stage atop the Col de la Loze on his Tour de France debut this year. He is the fifth new recruit for the 2021 season by Movistar, joining Puerto Rico’s Abner Gonzalez, Spanish duo Ivan Garcia and Gonzalo Serrano, and Austrian cyclist Gregor Muhlberger. “I’m so happy to be part of one of the most important teams in the world of cycling,” Lopez said in a statement. “As I’ve always done, I’ll try to achieve my fullest potential to represent the Movistar team and the people of Colombia in the best possible way. Team principal Eusebio Unzue believes the arrival of Lopez will increase the team’s potential at the biggest races. “Miguel Angel Lopez’s signing marks a really important addition to our men’s team,” said Unzue. “He’s someone who knows well what it takes to step onto the podium of the Grand Tours, and who’s achieved important victories in one-week stage races.”