Puncheur Yurani Blanco has stepped up to the Women’s WorldTour, signing for the team through 2026.
“This is a really big opportunity for me, the next step. I feel that I am ready to face the future with more ambition,” says Blanco. “I have improved a lot this year and have been close to the best riders in many races. That has given me the confidence to believe I can continue in the same direction in the WorldTour.”
The 26-year-old puncheur from Spain is a strong climber and opportunist. She will bolster the stage race squads and pursue her aspirations in hilly one-day races.
“I want to win and I want to be competitive and aggressive in the races with my teammates,” Blanco says of her aspirations. “I don’t give up until the end because anything can happen. That’s my philosophy.”
Blanco’s goals are well matched to that of the team.
“I’m excited to see how she develops in the WorldTour,” says Kenny Latomme, Team Manager. “Yurani performs very well in the races we target in Spain. She rode well at the Tour de France. We think we can bring her to the next level and perform at the biggest races.”
Signing from Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi, 2024 saw Blanco take her first professional victory at Gran Premio Ciudad de Eibar. She went on to finish seventh in the WorldTour Bretagne Classic, third in the GC at Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées, second in the Spanish national championship and capture a stage combativity prize at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
“I feel like I’m constantly learning about my body and how it responds to different types of races,” she explains. “I do my best in mid-mountain one-day races. Even if I don’t have the best day, my body is able to bring out the best it has.”
From the cycling tourism hotspot of Mallorca, Blanco started riding a decade ago as a hobby before studying to become a teacher. In 2021, she graduated, and decided to focus on the bike for one year. She hasn’t looked back since.
“This is my second year of only being a cyclist and not having another job. I can still grow next season and race harder, because why not?” she explains. “Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you are not but if you always try your best, who knows.”
Off the bike, Blanco is a big reader and is particularly into thrillers. She values time at home with family.
“I love spending time at home with my family and my dogs Jayce and Tro. I love the beach and the mountains in Mallorca. It is perfect for recovery and training, mind and body.”
