Nairo Quintana has confirmed that he’ll return to the Giro d’Italia subsequent month, ten years on from his total victory on the corsa rosa. The race will mark Quintana’s first look in a Grand Tour since he was disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France after testing optimistic for Tramadol.
Although the offence was not punishable with a suspension on the time – Tramadol was solely added to the WADA banned record on January 1 of this 12 months – Quintana parted firm with Arkéa-Samsic shortly afterwards and he was unable to discover a group for 2023.
Last Autumn, Quintana was surprisingly thrown a lifeline by his previous group Movistar, and he started his second stint with the squad on house roads in Colombia. He contracted COVID-19 on the Tour Colombia, nevertheless, which delayed the beginning of his European season, whereas a crash on the Volta a Catalunya left Quintana with a displaced collarbone and put his Giro participation doubtful.
Speaking at a press convention in Bogotá on Tuesday to advertise his sportive journey, Quintana confirmed that he would race the Giro, however he indicated that he would chase stage wins quite than his preliminary goal of a excessive total end. He is slated to journey in help of Enric Mas on the Vuelta a España later within the 12 months.
“We’ll get to the Giro d’Italia, possibly not within the form we would like or in one of the best circumstances, however we’ll journey nicely,” Quintana mentioned, in line with AS. “For certain, on the finish of the final week I can be significantly better than originally.”
Quintana can be accompanied by compatriots Einer Rubio and Fernando Gaviria within the Movistar line-up in Italy. “I do know that I gained’t be at my finest stage, however we’re going to strive for stage wins and for the mountain phases,” mentioned Quintana, who conceded that his begin to the 2024 season had been “sophisticated.”
Quintana’s return to the WorldTour was a controversial one. In a since-deleted alternate on Geraint Thomas’ podcast, the Welshman mentioned Quintana “shouldn’t even be racing,” whereas his teammate Luke Rowe described the Colombian as “just a little fucking rat.”
Their former Sky teammate Wout Poels, in the meantime, admitted to taunting Quintana about his optimistic take a look at for Tramadol after they jostled for place on the Volta a Catalunya.
“We know that some folks like us and a few folks do not like us. We have performed very good issues for our nation and that’s what ought to fill our hearts,” Quintana mentioned in Bogotá when requested about his reception within the peloton.
He proceeded to match his state of affairs to that of the fable of the deaf frog, wherein the eponymous amphibian perseveres in leaping his method out of a pit as a result of he’s unable to listen to the phrases of discouragement of his friends.
“We’re going forward just like the deaf frog, going looking for the aims we would like and with our chests stuffed with pleasure, figuring out who we’re and the place we come from. That’s what fills me with pleasure.”
