Colombian driver Ivan Sosa has confirmed that his first season with Movistar will be with Alejandro Valverde. He moved to Ineos Grenadiers at the end of 2018 and recently moved to Mobile Star after three seasons with the team.
Sosa made an impression by winning the Ring de Provence in early 2021. But after that he didn't perform so well that he was excluded from the Ring Italian squad led by Egan Bernal.
He disappeared after competing in the Volta ao Algarve in May last year and did not compete again until september and October, when he participated in some single-day races in Italy. At the time, he had confirmed that he would be leaving the Ineos team.
In an interview with foreign media, Sosa said: "The reasons for my departure are very complicated, there are many things involved in the middle, but there is nothing unpleasant about leaving, because I have learned a lot here. For me, this was a valuable experience, and it helped me a lot in my progress. "
Sosa's failure to be selected for the three Major Tour d'Ors by the team last year may have led to a large psychological gap in the driver who was once hailed as a talented teenager, which disappointed him.
He said: "This has hurt me a lot. The convoy was busy doing some other thing. But this is already the case, there is no point in saying more, just accumulate experience for yourself. "
Sousa has already drawn attention while playing for Gianni Savio's Androni squad, winning the Tour de Burgos in 2018 and winning the event again the following summer while playing for the Ineos team. During his three years at Ineos, he competed in two Grand Tour events, with 44th overall results in the 2019 Tour de Italy and 62nd overall in the 2020 Tour de l'West.
Mobile Star's team manager, Eusebio Unzué, confirmed that Sousa has been named to the team's Circumnavigation squad this year and valverde will lead the race as team owner.
Sosa said: "I like the Tour de La Modality because it has more alpine stages, which suits me more, and I will try my best to deliver beautiful answers." When asked what constitutes a "beautiful answer sheet", he replied: "I am eager to win the stage without affecting the overall result competition.
Sousa is currently training with his new team in Almeria, Spain, and although the ineos team he previously played for has always had a Spanish-speaking backbone driver, he says he communicates much more smoothly within mobile star teams.
"It's possible to communicate in Spanish here, which is more convenient for me and everyone will share their thoughts with you, which I think is great. We work well and the harmonious atmosphere is a good start. "
Sosa will take part in the Mallorca Challenge at the end of the month and then again in the Tour de Provence, where he won, though plans for a follow-up event have yet to be determined.
Sosa said: "No one has confirmed whether I will compete as the main player at the moment, and now everyone is busy with the competition at the beginning of the year, which will be over for a while. Our race plan is great and I think we can do a good job. "
Edit: Johnny
Image source: Infographic Gallery