Ivan Sosa will ride the Giro d'Italia with Alejandro Valverde in his debut season with Movistar. The Colombian joined the team this winter after three seasons with Ineos Grenadier.

Sosa won the Tour de la Provence in early 2021 and had an impressive run, but has struggled to make an impact since then and was dropped from the team that helped his countryman Egan Bernal win the overall in the Giro.

After retiring from the Volta ao Algarve in May, Sosa did not race again until a series of one-day events in Italy in September and October. At that time, his exit from Ineos was already confirmed.

"The parting was complicated," Sosa told Marca (open in new tab). 'It was a lot of things, but I'm satisfied because I learned a lot. Overall it was a good experience and now I have to take advantage of how I grew."

The 24-year-old also expressed disappointment that he was not selected for all three Grand Tours in 2021.

"I was very hurt. The team was focused on other things. 'A lot of things happened, so I don't want to talk too much about it. Everything is a learning experience."

Sosa was already in the spotlight when he was part of the Androni team led by Gianni Savio, winning the Vuelta a Burgos in 2018 and again the following summer in Ineos colors. He also competed in two Grand Tours during his time with Ineos, finishing 44th in the 2019 Giro and 62nd in the 2020 Vuelta a España.

Movistar coach Eusebio Unzué confirmed that Sosa will line out at this year's Giro, where Valverde will depart as team leader.

"I like the Giro. It has mountains and it suits me. I'll try to do well," Sosa said." Asked what he meant by "doing well," he replied: "I'm not ruling out the overall, I'm going for the stage win. I want to aim for the podium."

Sosa is currently training with a new team in Almería, and although Ineos has long had Spanish-speaking riders, he admitted that communication is easier in Movistar.

"After all, we can communicate in Spanish. It's easier this way. Everyone shares their thoughts."

"Everyone is very open to sharing their thoughts. It's working well and the climate is not too bad."

Sosa's first competition with Movistar will be at the Challenge Mallorca later this month, and he will also return to the Tour de la Provence, which he won last February.

"At the moment I haven't told anyone if I am the leader or not. 'I'm concentrating on the races at the beginning of the year. It's a good calendar and I think we can do well. How will I start? I don't really know what my conditions are like."