Nairo Quintana is ready to reunite together with his Movistar squad to guide the workforce in his residence stage race, the Tour Colombia, which begins on February 6.
The 33-year-old spent the final 18 months out of competitors apart from the Colombian nationwide championships after he parted methods with Arkéa-Samsic after he examined optimistic for tramadol through the 2022 Tour de France and was disqualified.
Quintana was not suspended however was unable to discover a workforce for 2023 however in October, Movistar introduced his shock return. Quintana began his WorldTour profession with the workforce in 2012 and remained with them by 2019.
This yr, WADA has added tramadol to the prohibited substance listing, so any positives going ahead might lead to suspensions.
Within the Tour Colombia 2.1, Quintana will race alongside compatriots Iván Sosa and Fernando Gaviria together with Spaniards Sergio Samitier and Albert Torres and Brazilian Vinicius Rangel.
In response to El Colombiano, Quintana felt like he was at degree of health and seeking to get race days in his legs after ending fourth within the time trial and twenty sixth within the street race on the Colombian championships final week. Alejandro Osorio – one other former WorldTour rider who was sacked by Bahrain Victorious for reportedly violating the workforce’s COVID-19 restrictions.
“The end result would not say something in regards to the situation,” Quintana mentioned. “If we take a look at final yr’s podium all of us completed collectively, and if we take a look at the time trial, it is comparable. The vital factor is that we’re including kilometres.
“We had been in a position to journey effectively, sadly, it’s not simple to make the best break, the technique doesn’t at all times go as one thinks, however the feeling and the physique are excellent. I’m enormously grateful and excited, not happy, however glad, glad to be on this new season with a workforce that has helped me quite a bit throughout this decade and that I carry, like many teammates, in my coronary heart,” Quintana mentioned.
The fourth version of the Tour Colombia 2.1 traverses 911.6 kilometres, and may have 25 groups on the beginning line together with WorldTour groups Movistar, Astana, and EF Schooling-EasyPost.
