Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana performed below what excited fans expected in the recent Tour Colombia. Their stage positions were respectively 79th, 13th, 25th, 19th and twice 26th.
Even though it is a category 2.1 competition, these results are not the most impressive, especially when trying to regain Movistar’s trust.
A lot of time wasted at Alto del Vino
Despite strong support from the many Colombian fans, Quintana lost almost seven minutes to stage winner Richard Carapaz in the race that ended on the Alto del Vino climb, an impressive climb of over thirty kilometers.
However, the problem is not with the 34-year-old cyclist’s physical form, but with his health. “He had the flu, nothing more,” Movistar team director Pablo Lastras told the American website Cyclingnews. “It’s nothing to worry about. He felt a little unwell about his shape, but nothing alarming or disturbing.”
Quintana needs to get used to the pace of the race again
Quintana had an exemplary attitude when his teammate, Ivan Sosa, faced mechanical problems in the last stage, promptly giving up his own bike. Sosa finished among the favorites and came in seventh place in the overall classification. Quintana, who had been absent from competition for a year due to a suspension for taking tramadol, finished his first race of 2024 in 21st place.
“It’s clear that a year without competing cost him a lot, because cycling is about rhythm,” said Quintana’s former coach, Luis Fernando Saldarriaga. “He needs to get used to the changes of pace again and that takes time.”
technician explains the cause 3
Quintana’s participation was a last minute decision
It was a last minute decision that Nairo Quintana would participate in the Tour Colombia. “The original plan was for Nairo to start in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, but we had to quickly change his schedule,” explains Lastras. “We had to have him here – for Nairo himself, for the country, for the federation, etc. He’s kind of an ambassador for the country, so he had to be here and he wanted to be here.”
The pressure to compete comes from Quintana himself, but Lastras believes this is part of what makes him a great champion. “Big guys need to know how to deal with pressure and Quintana knows how to do that, because he is a winner.”