Nairo Quintana has revealed that he’ll tackle two Grand Tours in 2025, with the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España each amongst his objectives for the brand new season.
The Colombian is making ready for his second season again at Movistar, the tenth of his profession with the Spanish squad. He turns 35 in February however nonetheless has excessive hopes for the long run, with a free function on the Giro in May on the menu together with a assist function for Enric Mas on the Vuelta.
He took on each races in 2024 after a 12 months away from top-level racing in 2023. A second place on stage 15 of the Giro, at Livigno, was the spotlight of his 12 months simply gone, although he instructed Spanish paper AS that he has “good sensations” and “nice numbers” forward of the brand new marketing campaign.
“We have been in Valencia including two excellent weeks of coaching, and I’ve seen that the younger individuals of the crew are fairly sturdy,” Quintana mentioned. As for me, the sensations have been good, with nice numbers and a want to proceed having fun with the competitors.”
Quintana introduced that he’ll race largely in Spain earlier than heading to the Giro in May, with March’s Tirreno-Adriatico his single race exterior of Iberia within the opening months of the season.
“I’ll begin with the Challenge de Mallorca. I will even do the Clásica Almería, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Volta a Catalunya. I’ll attempt to put together for the Giro d’Italia in the absolute best approach as a result of it’s certainly one of my targets,” Quintana mentioned.
“My schedule is a bit much like final season. The concept can also be to be on the Vuelta a España to assist Enric get him to the rostrum or greater,” he added earlier than happening to stipulate the explanation he is persevering with his profession into his late 30s.
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“Enjoying on the bike each day that I’m on it. Happiness. I like profitable races. I like being with the very best. And that makes me completely satisfied. That is why I’m right here and that’s what I need to do that season.”
Following the departure of Classics revelation Oier Lazkano and versatile finisher Alex Aranburu over the winter, Movistar’s 2025 hopes relaxation largely on Mas scoring good ends in stage races.
However, the crew has added one rising star within the form of Pablo Castrillo, the 23-year-old double Vuelta stage winner, who arrives from Kern Pharma. Along with the likes of Giro stage winner Pelayo Sánchez and U23 world time trial champion Iván Romeo, Castrillo’s signing reveals that the crew are constructing a stable younger core.
Quintana mentioned that the crew, and the press, ought to give Castrillo time and freedom as he makes the step as much as the WorldTour, and with it, a probable 2025 Tour de France begin.
“We have signings that give energy to the crew and with the arrival of Pablo I ask for calm, that we don’t smother him. He himself will take the suitable steps and we are going to absolutely see him giving some surprises within the Tour,” Quintana mentioned.
“We have seen that Iván Romeo has taken that step within the time trial along with his and it provides him confidence to struggle with the very best and the consolidation of Pelayo and Castrillo. The intention is for younger individuals to take steps ahead and for us to attempt to information them and provides them our expertise.
“We have already seen within the final Vuelta what Castrillo is able to doing, and within the Tour de France, now we have to take him with freedom and let him proceed to take pleasure in himself. We must divide the crew to be as sturdy as potential on the completely different fronts as a result of we can have many rivals always.”
Quintana additionally praised his countryman Diego Pescador. The 20-year-old, who completed seventh at this 12 months’s Tour de l’Avenir, is one other new younger addition to the Movistar squad, is one other new younger face on the Spanish squad.
“He has chosen to return to Movistar and I believe he can have nice alternatives to start out rising in several races which can be appropriate for him,” Quintana mentioned. “He has that capacity. I’m positive he is likely one of the Colombians who will proceed to hold on that legacy of Latin American cyclists.”