Italian climber Alice Maria Arzuffi will join Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi as one of their key riders for the upcoming 2025 season. The 29-year-old from Seregno, near Lake Como, is set to bring her climbing strength and experience in stage races, joining the ranks of top signings for the Basque team’s ambitious new season. Arzuffi, who placed 17th in this year’s Giro d’Italia and 20th in the Tour de France, will co-lead alongside Ane Santesteban and Usoa Ostolaza.
Reflecting on her move, Arzuffi expressed her enthusiasm about joining Laboral Kutxa, a team she believes is progressing each year. “I’m proud to be part of Laboral Kutxa,” she remarked, adding, “It’s clear they’re moving to a higher level year by year. I think it’s a great environment to achieve some important results.” She aims to cement the progress she achieved this season, explaining, “I’d like to confirm the level I reached this year, and without a doubt, I’m motivated to improve even further. My goal is to win a big race in the purple jersey.”
Arzuffi’s pedigree in the European cycling scene is well-known, having formerly been a cyclocross specialist where she clinched victories in Belgium’s Superprestige and podiums in the World Cup. Now fully focused on road racing, she admitted that this season marked her best to date, a testament to her potential as she moves into a leadership role with Laboral Kutxa. “I consider myself a climber who enjoys breakaways and stage races,” she added, underlining her desire to leave a mark in mountainous races.
Laboral Kutxa’s sports director, Ion Lazkano, noted Arzuffi’s strength in long climbs and her impressive recovery across multi-day races. “She’s a rider who defends herself very well in long climbs and has shown she recovers excellently in the grand tours,” Lazkano commented. The team sees Arzuffi’s arrival as a chance to raise their profile in the peloton, with Lazkano stating, “We hope she’ll raise the level of the team and be one of our key figures in major stage races.”
Arzuffi joins a roster set to include both returning and new riders, with 12 cyclists lined up for Laboral Kutxa’s 2025 squad. Alongside Arzuffi are new addition Arianna Fidanza, and returning riders Naia Amondarain, Debora Silvestri, Catalina Soto, and Laura Tomasi, among others, as the team builds a lineup ready to take on challenging tours in the coming season.
