Gallery: Indurain and Delgado attend Movistar team presentation
Valverde and Cobo to lead the line
The 2012 Movistar team was presented at the Telefónica Auditorium in Madrid's company headquarters today with the company president Luis Abril asking the riders to "keep dignifying this sport".
Abril also praised the team's performances from 2011, a year in which the Spanish team lost Xavier Tondo in a fatal accident and Mauricio Soler suffered a life-threatening crash at the Tour de Suisse.
"Last year, I only asked you to do things well and honor the brand. The grade of your accomplishment was the highest. I don't think that there's anyone at Telefónica not feeling proud of you. In a really hard season from a psychological point of view, you defended the brand and its values and defended yourselves as professionals as real lions."
The team picked up 20 wins in 2011 and has bolstered its attack by signing two returning riders in Alejandro Valverde and Juanjo Cobo. Two former greats, Pedro Delgado and Miguel Indurain, who rode for the team when it was branded as Reynolds and Banesto were also in attendance. The former professionals won six Tours de France between them and although Movistar will struggle to hit those heights, it remains Spain's number one professional team.
2012 MOVISTAR TEAM ROSTER
Andrey Amador
David Arroyo
Marzio Bruseghin
Jonathan Castroviejo
Juanjo Cobo
Rui Costa
Imanol Erviti
Iván Gutiérrez
Jesús Herrada
José Herrada
Beñat Intxausti
Javier Iriarte
Vladimir Karpets
Vasil Kiryienka
Ignatas Konovalovas
Pablo Lastras
David Lopez
Ángel Madrazo
Javier Moreno
Sergio Pardilla
Rubén Plaza
Nairo Quintana
José Joaquín Rojas
Branislau Samoilau
Enrique Sanz
Alejandro Valverde
Francisco José Ventoso
Giovanni Visconti
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