Inks two-year contract

Eritrean national champion, 25, set to add his quality and two years of WorldTour experience to Telefónica's squad starting next season.

A long list of thirty-one nationalities which, starting in 2025, will be joined by Eritrea. The signing of Natnael Tesfatsion (Asmara, ERI; 1999), part of the men’s Movistar Team from next year after two seasons at Lidl-Trek, will mark the first African signing for the Eusebio Unzué-led squad in almost half a century of existence.

On the podium as second in last January’s Cadel Evans Road Race in Geeling, just behind Laurence Pithie. (c) Getty Sport

“I had the opportunity to know the team better in Australia this year as we both raced the Tour Down Under, and the feeling couldn’t be better,” explains Tesfatsion, who competed last Sunday at the World Championships road race in Zürich. “They’re a strong group of guys, really fun, and I’m really looking forward to bringing my effort to the team and continue to improve results. I consider myself a strong rider for short climbs, also with a good sprint, and I want to keep exploiting those abilities. Hopefully I can get my first victory in the WorldTour next season – I was so close earlier this year, when I finished 2nd at the Cadel Evans Road Race, so I hope I can return the confidence the Movistar Team is putting on me with some good results.“

Hugging fellow countryman Biniam Girmay after his stage victory in the 2022 Giro d’Italia. (c) Getty Sport

A notable under-23 competitor, he obtained encouraging results during his years with Qhubeka (2019-20) and Androni (2021-22), with two GC victories at the Tour of Rwanda and second-place finishes at Italy’s Adriatica Ionica Race and Giro dell’Appennino. His two-year WorldTour adaptation spell includes, other than 2nd in Geeling, a 3rd spot -behind Julian Alaphilippe and Richard Carapaz- at a stage of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné. He’s the reigning Eritrean road race champion, a flag he’ll carry alongside the ‘M’ on his shoulders in 2025.