Vuelta a España: Movistar to wear special jerseys to honor Alejandro Valverde

This article originally appeared on Velo News

Team Movistar will change its team kit from blue to white during the Vuelta a Espana to honor star Alejandro Valverde during his final grand tour.

Valverde, 42, will retire at the end of 2022, and the team wanted to pay homage to its longtime captain who won the Vuelta in 2009 along with 12 stages and six podiums during his run at the Spanish grand tour.

Movistar will swap out its blue backdrop for white, with stripes in the team’s characteristic design to reflect the Spanish star’s victories, officials said.

“In a one-off move, never seen over the 12 years Telefonica has been the organization’s title sponsor, the Movistar Team will overhaul its jersey for a three-week grand tour and dedicate its design for the 77th edition of La Vuelta to Alejandro Valverde, its most important rider for nearly two decades,” a team statement read.

Also read:

• Valverde draws curtains on the Vuelta

• Valverde and his final mission to save Movistar's WorldTour license

• 'Retirement Class of 2022' includes some of the peloton's giants

Keeping its usual composition, the one-off design changes its navy blue background to white. La Passione’s kit will turn the horizontal stripes that govern the design into a collection of Valverde’s most important victories, officials said.

The new jersey, which debuted during the team presentation Thursday, will be worn by the Movistar Team over the entire Vuelta, the last race on home roads for Valverde.

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