Former Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España winner Nairo Quintana has been confirmed together with his present group, Movistar, for one more 12 months.
The Colombian climbing star had been broadly anticipated to stay with the Spanish WorldTour squad for one more 12 months. 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 in the beginning 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 group of the time, Arkéa-Samsic.
Though Quintana didn’t serve a suspension as his offence was coated by UCI’s medical guidelines moderately than being classed as an anti-doping violation, he was left with no probability however to take a hiatus season in 2023 with none racing.
Quintana rode primarily in assist of the Movistar group leaders this season, though a number of crashes and sickness plagued the Colombian’s possibilities of a constant 12 months.
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 nearby of the end at Livigno by general 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 group in 2024 and now effectively into his thirties, Quintana’s principal position has been as a high mountain domestique.
“2024 has been a pleasant 12 months,” Quintana said in a group 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 essential moments within the season. However I may nonetheless battle again and recuperate effectively to assist the group.”
“I am renewing in 2025 to try to get hold of better continuity, battle exhausting in every race and produce Enric Mas to the best attainable putting in three-week races.”
“In the course of the 2025 season, we’ll additionally intention to achieve as many [UCI] factors as attainable, as that is the final 12 months on this explicit spherical of [WorldTour] classification.”
