David Lozano

PROFILE

Experienced Spanish climber David Lozano is now into his 21th season with Team Novo Nordisk for 2024
and the Catalan is showing no sign of slowing down after another consistent year in 2023 that yet again demonstrated his talent and calm leadership qualities.

As in 2022, the highlights in 2023 were almost identical with Lozano winning the KOM jersey at the Maryland Classic in the USA and following that up with a superb ride in the breakaway against WorldTour opposition at the Gran Prix Cycliste de Quebec in Canada before storming to a top ten at the Tour of Hainan and leading the team at the Japan Cup in October.

Lozano came close to securing another jersey win in 2020 for TNN with a standout performance at the Tour de Hongrie, claiming the red climbers jersey on stage 1 and holding onto it until the final stage where he narrowly missed out on the last climb.

An 11-time Spanish national champion in mountain-bike and cyclocross racing. In March 2014, he proved his strength on the road when he won the king of the mountain’s classification at Cholet Pays De Loire in France. Additional career highlights include sixth on Stage 3 of the Tour de Korea (2015), eighth on Stage 2 of the Tour of Estonia (2018) and eighth on Stage 2 of the Tour du Rwanda (2018).

The Spaniard followed his fantastic 2018 campaign with another fine season in 2019, winning the mountains classification at the Tour of Taiyun along with a top ten finish overall at the Chinese race alongside taking sixth on the general classification at the Tour du Rwanda. In total, he earned six top tens during the 2019 season.

The proof of Lozano ‘s successful transition from cyclocross to the road can be seen in the past few seasons where he earned the team’s second victory in its eighth-year history by soloing to victory on Stage 7 of the Tour du Rwanda and taking three second places and one third place (2018) at the African race. Overall, he earned eight top 5 finishes including fifth on GC at the Tour of Estonia and the Tour du Rwanda (2018).

Lozano was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder as a child and his father encouraged him to play sports to burn off excess energy. By the age of 8, he was competing in mountain biking races and went on to dominate the Spanish circuit throughout his teens. The Catalyan turned professional at 18 with the Spanish team, MSC Bikes, and was considered the best mountain biker in Spain when he began to lose vision in his right eye. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and Lozano hoped to continue mountain biking. But after he informed his team manager of the diagnosis, the team immediately broke his contract.

Lozano’s father also has type 1 diabetes and has struggled with his diabetes management. When Lozano was diagnosed, his mother was distraught, believing that the younger Lozano might experience the same difficulties as his father.

Soon after his diagnosis, Lozano connected with Team Novo Nordisk CEO Phil Southerland via Facebook and the two, along with Lozano’s mother, met in Barcelona. Southerland explained the values of the team — to help inspire, educate and empower those living with diabetes — and invited Lozano to join. Lozano’s mother was grateful for the opportunity, knowing her son could live a healthy life and continue his athletic career.

Since Lozano joined Team Novo Nordisk, his father has been inspired and taken a more active role in his own diabetes management. Off the bike, the 35-year-old loves spending time with his wife and daughter and the family dogs.