Spaniard comes back to his first team as a pro cyclist, becomes a member of the Telefónica-backed squad as Head of Performance, covering key functions into the diverse sporting areas of Eusebio Unzué’s team
The Movistar Team confirmed Monday that Patxi Vila (Vera de Bidasoa, ESP; 1975) will be part of its staff, starting in 2020, as Head of Performance. A pro cyclist for ten years between the iBanesto.com (2001-02), Lampre (2003-08) and De Rosa (2011-12) squads, Vila has also ammassed invaluable experience alongside big riders as a member of Tinkoff (2015-16) and Bora-Hansgrohe (2017-19), other than performance specialist for bike manufacturer Specialized (2013-2014).
“Through all these years, already before becoming a pro rider and both during my sporting and technical careers, I’ve always held the Movistar Team as a reference,” Vila explains. “It’s my home team, and the place where my idols made a name for themselves, such as Pedro Delgado or Miguel Indurain. I’ve spent three wonderful seasons as part of the Bora-Hansgrohe squad, supporting the team’s sporting success, and in this moment of profound transformations the Movistar Team is currently undergoing, I thought it was the right time to come back home.”
“I want to support the team with my work experience after having gathered knowledge across all areas one can be part of as a team member – I’ve been a professional cyclist, worked for riders as a coach, acted as a sports director and made all sorts of technical adjustments as part of a brand producing bikes and components. Because of all that, I feel like my main role here will be making things easier for everyone I work with, both riders and staff, and support the team’s overall operation.”
“Combined with that, the fact that I can get back to working near my home, close to my loved ones, and spending time into a team with people who speak Spanish,is something really important for me from a personal standpoint. It’s an easier atmosphere, a culture I’m more used to, which helps you work better. I’m so grateful to Eusebio and all of my team-mates for the warm welcome, and can’t wait to get going and help the team continue to build this new path to success.“