French time trialist and classic rider Remi Cavaña says the language barrier and sudden changes in the race program are partly due to the slump in the first half of the 2024 season after moving to Movistar.

Cavanja, 28, joined the Quick-step Belgian team and the long-time Spanish world Tour team after seven seasons, but had below-expected results in his race. 

In the classic, his best placement is in E3Harelbeke 47th place, and it has so far been the result of his top ten time trials, while he recently claimed four in the French National Championship.

The former French double time trial champion told L'Équipe that he has yet to fully settle with his new team, Movistar. He said that language barriers sometimes made communication difficult, and changes in his race program also did not help.

When Cyclingnews contacted Cavagna about the interview, Movistar said it had no comment.

In the French TT Nationals, before finishing fourth after new champion Bruno Armilale (Decathlon - AG2R La Mondiale) and just second from the podium, Cavanya added that his start on Movistar's Tour de France team was uncertain. 

When asked by Lequipe if he expected such a difficult transition from one team to another, he said, "To tell the truth, no. I never imagined it would be so hard.

"I spent 7 years at QuickStep and it was all easy, but now I'm at an age where I wanted to try something different. In any case, I do not regret my decision.

Cavanya said that although he was very happy with the experience of working with the new team, "I was enriched by it" - he said that he wanted more freedom of choice regarding his race program. 

1. One of the biggest obstacles he faced was the "language barrier."

"I have advanced in Spanish, I have taken several courses, I have invested in it, and I understand almost everything. But when I want to express myself a little, I have found myself to the limit, and when I try to integrate myself, it's a little rubbish.

"Spanish forms a little block in the team and everything is Spanish on the race radio and it's complicated at the crucial moment of the race.

With regard to changes to the race program, Cavagna argued that the initial plan to perform the Criterium du Dauphine had been abolished and that it remained uncertain whether to perform the Tour de France.

"I do not know about it yet, it has been confirmed, but there is not much news at the moment," he told a French newspaper. 

"I've seen tour time trial stages, they are really nice, there are other great stages. And I know that winning on the tour can change my career. If I don't tour, it could be a real blow to me.

"But I have not lost hope. Even though I didn't have a grand season, I felt like I was gaining momentum and if I had a freewheeling role on the tour, it would change the season

"I changed the team to change things, and I still feel like I'm in Square One," he said. I added with a smile. "I did not sign up for this."

He also admitted that the change of coach in 2024 and the switch from a professional bike to a Canyon bike at Movistar was not as easy as he had hoped.

"I came to the team to evolve and things are going downhill for now. But I'm not here to finish in the top 50 on a tour of Belgium. I'm worth more than that."

"We have to communicate, that's the basis of everything, just like a relationship," he insisted about his team, with he has a three-year contract,"That

"Now I'm not giving them anything and they're not giving me anything." It's complicated. "

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