# 2011 Movistar Team season

2011 Movistar Team season :
| Manager | Eusebio Unzué |
| One-day victories | 3 |
| Stage race overall victories | 3 |
| Stage race stage victories | 14 |
| Previous season • Next season ||
The 2011 season for Movistar Team began in January at the Tour de San Luis and ended in October at the Giro di Lombardia. As a UCI ProTeam, they were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad to every event in the UCI World Tour.
With twenty victories to their credit, the team had a reasonably successful 2011 season competitively, but the year was very tumultuous for reasons outside competition. After a successful early season, including the overall crown at the Vuelta a Castilla y León, team rider Xavier Tondó was killed in a freak accident at his home while preparing for a training ride with teammate Beñat Intxausti. Later in the season, Mauricio Soler sustained a horrific crash at the Tour de Suisse, which could easily have cost him his life as well. After more than four months in the hospital, Soler was released, but his recovery was far from complete at that time.

## 2011 roster

Ages as of January 1, 2011.
| | Rider | Date of birth |
| Andrey Amador (CRC) | Andrey Amador (CRC) | (1986-08-29)August 29, 1986 (aged 24) |
| David Arroyo (ESP) | David Arroyo (ESP) | (1980-01-07)January 7, 1980 (aged 30) |
| Marzio Bruseghin (ITA) | Marzio Bruseghin (ITA) | (1974-06-15)June 15, 1974 (aged 36) |
| Rui Costa (POR) | Rui Costa (POR) | (1986-10-05)October 5, 1986 (aged 24) |
| Imanol Erviti (ESP) | Imanol Erviti (ESP) | (1983-11-15)November 15, 1983 (aged 27) |
| José Vicente García (ESP) | José Vicente García (ESP) | (1972-08-04)August 4, 1972 (aged 38) |
| Iván Gutiérrez (ESP) | Iván Gutiérrez (ESP) | (1978-11-27)November 27, 1978 (aged 32) |
| Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | (1990-07-26)July 26, 1990 (aged 20) |
| Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | Beñat Intxausti (ESP) | (1986-03-20)March 20, 1986 (aged 24) |
| Javier Iriarte (ESP) | Javier Iriarte (ESP) | (1986-11-11)November 11, 1986 (aged 24) |
| Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | (1981-06-28)June 28, 1981 (aged 29) |
| Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU) | Ignatas Konovalovas (LTU) | (1985-12-08)December 8, 1985 (aged 25) |
| Pablo Lastras (ESP) | Pablo Lastras (ESP) | (1976-01-20)January 20, 1976 (aged 34) |
| | Rider | Date of birth |
| David Lopez (ESP) | David Lopez (ESP) | (1981-05-13)May 13, 1981 (aged 29) |
| Angel Madrazo (ESP) | Angel Madrazo (ESP) | (1988-07-30)July 30, 1988 (aged 22) |
| Carlos Oyarzún (CHI) | Carlos Oyarzún (CHI) | (1981-10-26)October 26, 1981 (aged 29) |
| Luis Pasamontes (ESP) | Luis Pasamontes (ESP) | (1979-10-02)October 2, 1979 (aged 31) |
| Sergio Pardilla (ESP) | Sergio Pardilla (ESP) | (1984-01-16)January 16, 1984 (aged 26) |
| Francisco Pérez (ESP) | Francisco Pérez (ESP) | (1978-07-22)July 22, 1978 (aged 32) |
| Rubén Plaza (ESP) | Rubén Plaza (ESP) | (1980-02-29)February 29, 1980 (aged 30) |
| José Joaquín Rojas Gil (ESP) | José Joaquín Rojas Gil (ESP) | (1985-06-08)June 8, 1985 (aged 25) |
| Branislau Samoilau (BLR) | Branislau Samoilau (BLR) | (1985-05-25)May 25, 1985 (aged 25) |
| Enrique Sanz (ESP) | Enrique Sanz (ESP) | (1989-09-11)September 11, 1989 (aged 21) |
| Mauricio Soler (COL) | Mauricio Soler (COL) | (1983-01-14)January 14, 1983 (aged 27) |
| Xavier Tondó (ESP) | Xavier Tondó (ESP) | (1978-11-05)November 5, 1978 (aged 32) |
| Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | (1982-05-06)May 6, 1982 (aged 28) |
| Rider | 2010 team |
| Jesús Herrada | neo-pro |
| Beñat Intxausti | Euskaltel–Euskadi |
| Javier Iriarte | ex-pro (Burgos Monumental, 2008) |
| Ignatas Konovalovas | Cervélo TestTeam |
| Carlos Oyarzun | Supermercados Froiz |
| Sergio Pardilla | Carmiooro NGC |
| Branislau Samoilau | Quick-Step |
| Enrique Sanz | neo-pro |
| Xavier Tondó | Cervélo TestTeam |
| Francisco Ventoso | Andalucía–Cajasur |
| Rider | 2011 team |
| Juan José Cobo | Geox–TMC |
| Arnaud Coyot | Saur–Sojasun |
| Mathieu Drujon | BigMat–Auber 93 |
| Arnold Jeannesson | FDJ |
| Alberto Losada | Team Katusha |
| Christophe Moreau | Retired |
| Mathieu Perget | Ag2r–La Mondiale |
| Luis León Sánchez | Rabobank |
| Rigoberto Urán | Team Sky |
| Alejandro Valverde | Suspended |
| Xabier Zandio | Team Sky |

## One-day races

Before the spring season and the races known as classics, the team got a win in the Vuelta a Mallorca series. After making a 40-rider selection with 15 km (9.3 mi) remaining in the Trofeo Deià, Rojas won the resulting sprint among those riders.

### Spring classics

The Vuelta a La Rioja was the team's first traditional one-day win. Erviti finished first ahead of two Colombian riders from a UCI Continental team, eight seconds ahead of the main field.
The team also sent squads to Milan–San Remo, Gent–Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, but placed no higher than 11th in any of these races.

### Fall races

The team also sent squads to the Clásica de San Sebastián, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, and the Giro di Lombardia, but placed no higher than 11th in any of these races.

## Stage races

The team picked up wins in two simultaneous events at the beginning of the season. At the Tour de San Luis, new acquisition Tondó won the 19.5 km (12.1 mi) individual time trial, gaining a 30-second lead over Androni Giocattoli's José Serpa in the process with three days left to race. In the race's penultimate stage, however, Tondó dramatically bonked and crashed on the descent of the Cerro El Amago, the day's last climb. He had stayed with the race's top riders and seemed to be a 15 km (9.3 mi) descent and an easy, flat final stage away from winning the race. Instead, he lost 15 minutes on the day, and finished the race in 23rd place. Also in January, the squad sent to the Tour Down Under came away with another win. Ventoso won the race's queen stage in Willunga ahead of the sprinters who populated the top of the general classification standings. Ventoso was the squad's top finisher in the final overall standings, in sixth place. The squad narrowly won the teams classification, beating Vacansoleil–DCM by eight seconds. Ventoso added a sprint win in February in stage 3 of the Ruta del Sol. The team did not win any stage at Critérium International in March, but they did win the teams classification and have Kiryienka on the final podium in second. With strong placings in all three stages, Kiryienka also won the event's points classification. Rojas won the sprint finish to stage 6 of the concurrent Volta a Catalunya, with nearly the entire peloton finishing together.
Kiryienka won stage 2 at the Tour of the Basque Country with a late-race solo attack. He initially drew four others with him, but a second surge 1,400 m (4,600 ft) from the line gave him the win two seconds ahead of the leading group on the road. It was the Belarusian's first race win since a stage in the 2008 Giro d'Italia. The squad also won the team award at this event. Later in April, the team had a very strong Vuelta a Castilla y León. Ventoso won the first two stages in field sprints, keying of the sprint train Team Sky was trying to use to set up their sprinter Russell Downing on both days. The overall classification was left wide open the next day when three-time champion Alberto Contador suffered mechanical trouble on the race's only summit finish, the Laguna de los Peces, and lost two minutes. Tondó finished fifth on the stage, and was in second overall just three seconds behind new race leader Bauke Mollema. Tondó was third in the race's individual time trial the next day, taking the race lead since he gained 12 seconds on Mollema. The time gaps held on the final stage, meaning Tondó won the race overall. Ventoso added a second place in stage 5 to his two wins earlier to handily win the points classification, though he would have won it even if he had not scored in the final stage. Neo-pro Sanz took the first win of his career at the Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid in a short (84.8 km (52.7 mi)) road race held the same day as the prologue time trial. The young Spaniard came first in the field sprint. The next day, Costa finished second on the Puerto de la Morcuera summit by 14 seconds, but this performance was enough to make him the race's overall winner. The team also won two classification awards, with Costa taking the points title and Herrada the youth classification.
The team also sent squads to the Tour Méditerranéen, the Tour du Haut Var, Vuelta a Murcia, Paris–Nice, Tirreno–Adriatico, the Tour de Romandie, Vuelta a Asturias, the Circuit de Lorraine, the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Brixia Tour, the Tour de Pologne, the Eneco Tour, the Tour du Poitou-Charentes and the Tour of Beijing, but did not achieve a stage win, classification win, or podium finish in any of them.

## Season victories

| Date | Race | Competition | Rider | Country | Location |
| January 20 | Tour de San Luis, Stage 4 | UCI America Tour | Xavier Tondó (ESP) | Argentina | San Luis |
| January 22 | Tour Down Under, Stage 5 | UCI World Tour | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Australia | Willunga |
| January 23 | Tour Down Under, Teams classification | UCI World Tour | | Australia | |
| February 9 | Trofeo Deià | UCI Europe Tour | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) | Spain | Deià |
| February 22 | Vuelta a Andalucía, Stage 3 | UCI Europe Tour | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Spain | Jaén |
| March 26 | Volta a Catalunya, Stage 6 | UCI World Tour | José Joaquín Rojas (ESP) | Spain | Mollet del Vallès |
| March 27 | Critérium International, Points classification | UCI Europe Tour | Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | France | |
| March 27 | Critérium International, Teams classification | UCI Europe Tour | | France | |
| April 5 | Tour of the Basque Country, Stage 2 | UCI World Tour | Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | Spain | Lekunberri |
| April 9 | Tour of the Basque Country, Teams classification | UCI World Tour | | Spain | |
| April 13 | Vuelta a Castilla y León, Stage 1 | UCI Europe Tour | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Spain | Palencia |
| April 14 | Vuelta a Castilla y León, Stage 2 | UCI Europe Tour | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Spain | Salamanca |
| April 17 | Vuelta a Castilla y León, Overall | UCI Europe Tour | Xavier Tondó (ESP) | Spain | |
| April 17 | Vuelta a Castilla y León, Points classification | UCI Europe Tour | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Spain | |
| April 24 | Vuelta a La Rioja | UCI Europe Tour | Imanol Erviti (ESP) | Spain | Logroño |
| May 7 | Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid, Stage 2 | UCI Europe Tour | Enrique Sanz (ESP) | Spain | Coslada |
| May 8 | Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid, Overall | UCI Europe Tour | Rui Costa (POR) | Spain | |
| May 8 | Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid, Points classification | UCI Europe Tour | Rui Costa (POR) | Spain | |
| May 8 | Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid, Young rider classification | UCI Europe Tour | Jesús Herrada (ESP) | Spain | |
| May 12 | Giro d'Italia, Stage 6 | UCI World Tour | Francisco Ventoso (ESP) | Italy | Fiuggi |
| May 28 | Giro d'Italia, Stage 20 | UCI World Tour | Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | Italy | Sestriere |
| June 12 | Tour de Suisse, Stage 2 | UCI World Tour | Mauricio Soler (COL) | Switzerland | Crans-Montana |
| June 19 | Route du Sud, Overall | UCI Europe Tour | Vasil Kiryienka (BLR) | France | |
| June 19 | Route du Sud, Teams classification | UCI Europe Tour | | France | |
| July 9 | Tour de France, Stage 8 | UCI World Tour | Rui Costa (POR) | France | Super Besse |
| August 5 | Vuelta a Burgos, Stage 3 | UCI Europe Tour | Team time trial | France | |
| August 22 | Vuelta a España, Stage 3 | UCI World Tour | Pablo Lastras (ESP) | Spain | Totana |
| September 11 | Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal | UCI World Tour | Rui Costa (POR) | Canada | Montreal |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Tondó died on May 23 after an accident at his home.
* ↑ The riders on the squad were José Joaquín Rojas, Iván Gutiérrez, David López García, Ángel Madrazo, Luis Pasamontes, José Vicente García, and Francisco Ventoso
* ↑ The riders on the squad were David Arroyo, Marzio Bruseghin, Iván Gutiérrez, Jesus Herrada, Vasil Kiryienka, David López García, Sergio Pardilla and Branislau Samoilau
* ↑ The riders on the squad were David Arroyo, Marzio Bruseghin, David López García, Beñat Intxausti, Xavier Tondó, José Vicente García, Ángel Madrazo and Vasil Kiryienka
* ↑ The riders on the squad were David Arroyo, Javier Iriarte, Vasil Kiryienka, Francisco Pérez, Sergio Pardilla, Luis Pasamontes and Enrique Sanz
* ↑ The riders on the squad were David Arroyo, José Vicente Garcia, Beñat Intxausti, David López García, Sergio Pardilla, Jesús Herrada, Pablo Lastras, and Francisco Ventoso