In 2014, a teenage Alicia González joined Lointek, a team fighting to keep women’s cycling alive in Spain. By 2018, she moved to Movistar—the year the women’s squad was launched—and even secured the team’s first podium at the Setmana Valenciana. After a short stint with British side Lifeplus, the Asturian is now making her mark with French team St Michel, where she is under contract until 2027. In 2026, she has delivered a string of strong performances, including a third-place finish at the Ronde de Mouscron. With over a decade in the peloton, she has witnessed firsthand the dramatic transformation of women’s cycling.
“When I started, there were no professional teams in Spain. A few, like Lointek, allowed us to race abroad, but not at today’s level. At Movistar, I truly experienced a professional life. Now, we see that quantity leads to quality—many young riders are coming through strong, transitioning to U23 with great levels. Paula Blasi won the Amstel recently, Mavi García won a Tour stage and a World Championship medal, and riders like Alejandra Neira are starting to shine. The present is good, but the future is promising too. There’s a new generation,” Alicia explains, as she “enjoys” her role of “freedom” and “bringing experience” at St Michel.
Alicia looks at the monument at the top of the Angliru, listing all historic winners. (Eloy Alonso)
“The language was a bit of a shock, but French culture is quite similar to ours, except for meal times. I feel very adapted and motivated. As long as I feel this way, I’ll keep going. But at 30, you start feeling old. When COVID hit (2020), I felt young. Coming out of the pandemic, I already felt like a veteran,” explains Alicia, who lives and breathes cycling—also thanks to her partner, Jonatha Lastra (Euskaltel). After a busy classics campaign, she plans to ride the Vuelta a Burgos, Giro d’Italia Women, and Volta a Catalunya, aiming to keep shining “outside my comfort zone.” A versatile rider, she also competes in cyclocross (she was once Spanish champion), gravel, and road racing, always combative and with a sharp sprint on explosive days.
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