Former Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España winner Nairo Quintana has been confirmed along with his present workforce, Movistar, for an additional yr.
The Colombian climbing star had been broadly anticipated to stay with the Spanish WorldTour squad for an additional yr. However for unknown causes, the definitive inexperienced mild failed to look till barely six weeks earlier than the 2025 season begins.
Set to show 35 subsequent February, Quintana returned to Movistar at first of 2024. Beforehand, a optimistic check for the painkiller Tramadol noticed him disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France and sparked his exit from his workforce of the time, Arkéa-Samsic.
Though Quintana didn’t serve a suspension as his offence was lined by UCI’s medical guidelines fairly than being classed as an anti-doping violation, he was left with no likelihood however to take a hiatus season in 2023 with none racing.
Quintana rode primarily in assist of the Movistar workforce leaders this season, though a number of crashes and sickness plagued the Colombian’s probabilities of a constant yr.
That didn’t cease him from a notable near-miss after a protracted break within the hardest mountain stage of the Giro d’Italia, solely being overhauled virtually close by of the end at Livigno by total winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates).
A winner of the Giro d’Italia in 2014 and Vuelta a España in 2016 with Movistar, in his heyday Quintana’s immense climbing abilities additionally noticed him take a number of podium finishes within the Tour de France. Since his return to the Spanish workforce in 2024 and now effectively into his thirties, Quintana’s essential position has been as a prime mountain domestique.
“2024 has been a pleasant yr,” Quintana acknowledged in a workforce press launch asserting his contract renewal.
“Personally I had some setbacks beginning with COVID, then a ruptured sternum and a fractured hand. These challenges, along with some extra crashes, meant that I couldn’t be at 100% in necessary moments within the season. However I might nonetheless combat again and get better effectively to assist the workforce.”
“I am renewing in 2025 to try to receive larger continuity, combat exhausting in every race and convey Enric Mas to the best doable putting in three-week races.”
“Through the 2025 season, we’ll additionally goal to realize as many [UCI] factors as doable, as that is the final yr on this explicit spherical of [WorldTour] classification.”
