Javier Romo has left Movistar Team after the two parties reached a mutual agreement to terminate a contract that had been due to run through the end of 2028.
The 27-year-old Spaniard’s final race for the team was the Tour of Guangxi, where he finished 12th overall after taking 12th on the final summit stage to NongLa. Movistar confirmed his departure on Sunday, thanking Romo for his work and commitment across three seasons with the team.
No next destination has yet been announced. That makes this an early contract termination rather than a confirmed transfer, with Romo now leaving Movistar two years before the end of the deal he signed in late 2024.
Romo and Movistar agree early contract termination
Romo originally joined Movistar for the 2024 season after three years with Astana Qazaqstan Team. His first deal with the Spanish squad covered 2024 and 2025, before Movistar extended him through 2028 as part of a wider long-term commitment to several younger Spanish riders.
The new agreement brings that contract to an early end. Movistar described the decision as mutual and said the Tour of Guangxi had been Romo’s final appearance in blue.
The timing is notable because Romo was still being used as one of the team’s options for selective stage races and harder one-day events. He started Guangxi among Movistar’s GC cards and finished the race 37 seconds behind overall winner Jarno Widar.
His final day with the team came on the summit finish at NongLa, where he placed 12th on the stage, 27 seconds behind Widar. That result left him 12th overall in the final classification.
Tour Down Under win was the high point of his Movistar spell
Romo’s biggest victory with Movistar came at the 2025 Tour Down Under. He attacked late on Stage 3 and held off the chase to take his first WorldTour win, then carried the ochre jersey deep into the race.
He eventually finished second overall behind Jhonatan Narváez, a result that established him as a serious option for punchy stage races rather than simply a support rider. ProCyclingUK followed Romo’s defence of the race lead ahead of Willunga Hill as the overall battle tightened.
Later that year, Romo came close to another major win at the Vuelta a España. He made the decisive break on Stage 12 and reached the finish with Juan Ayuso, but was beaten in the two-up sprint. Ayuso’s stage win ahead of Romo was another example of the attacking style that became central to Romo’s role at Movistar.
2026 brought flashes of form but fewer headline results
Romo’s 2026 season was more uneven. He showed strong form at Itzulia Basque Country, where he was in contention on the fifth stage before a crash on the climb to Izua. He still finished third on the stage and moved into the top 10 overall.
His Tour de France was more subdued, with Romo finishing 54th overall after being used across a mixture of breakaway and support roles. He ended the race with 14th on Stage 19 as his best mountain-stage result in the final week.
The season then moved towards a lower-key finish. After abandoning the Clásica San Sebastián and missing the Circuito de Getxo, Romo returned for Tre Valli Varesine before closing his Movistar career in China.
His Guangxi result was solid rather than spectacular, but 12th overall showed he remained competitive enough to contribute in a WorldTour stage race right to the end of his time with the team.
No next team announced yet
Movistar’s statement does not give a reason for the early termination beyond saying the decision was reached by mutual agreement, and Romo has not yet been announced by another team for 2027.
That distinction matters in a transfer market where several riders have moved after ending contracts early. Until Romo’s next destination is confirmed, his situation is best treated as a departure rather than a completed transfer.
At 27, he still has a useful WorldTour profile. He can climb, race aggressively from breakaways and has already shown he can contend for week-long stage races when the route suits him. His Tour Down Under performance and Vuelta stage podium remain the strongest evidence of what he can offer a new team.
For Movistar, the split removes a rider who had been tied to the squad through 2028. For Romo, it opens the door to a new project after three seasons in which he delivered his first WorldTour victory and several of the best results of his professional career.
