The Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana This Monday he showed his excitement for re-signed for the Movistar Teambut he assured that he has to persevere because he has not raced for almost nine months, since the National Road Championship in February.
“I will start working with the team coaches. We must be patient because it’s true that I haven’t raced for a long time (…) While others were doing the Giro (of Italy), I tried to imitate every stage,” said the 33-year-old rider at a press conference in Bogotá.
The Colombian, who wore the colors of Movistar between 2012 and 2019, returns to the team where he got the best victories of his career, which are the titles of the 2014 Giro d’Italia and the 2016 Vuelta a España, as well as three Tour podiums. from France (second in 2013 and 2015 and third in 2016).
Quintana spent the whole of 2023 without racing in a team structure because in 2022, the day before the start of the Vuelta a España, Arkea-Samsic was notified that he had tested positive for tramadol at the Tour de France. However, the new Movistar rider said he had a great year “very nice shape.”
“I have the same training numbers as when I did any important competition”declared the athlete and said that he is “not too afraid” to return to the European circuit, although he warned that “it is true that this contact with the peloton is different.”
The feeling of reunion
After five years in which he was away from Movistar, Quintana appreciated the reunion, where he recalled the “good weather” and thinking about the “great future ahead” for him and the team.
“Now thanks to this new opportunity, I dream again, I believed and I believe again that I can continue doing great things, contributing to the team. I really want to continue, to do very well, to continue to represent the brand as I always do,” highlighted the Colombian.
He sees it as “another victory” and that is why he wants to start this new phase now, something that will happen in December when the team concentrates to prepare for the 2024 season.
However, he is aware that the competition in Europe is getting stronger and that is why he hopes to contribute his experience to Movistar. “We’ve seen it teams made up of very strong riders. Time and the competition will tell where we will be a strong team,” he expressed.
He also revealed that there were approaches to other teams but it did not go beyond that, something he is thankful for because “having the opportunity to race today in Movistar” fills him with pride.
“This is the team where I have a good chance to give a little bit of what I have done all these yearsall this learning I got so that I can give it to a young team, a powerful team,” said Quintana and added that he hopes to give a lot of support to the leader of the Spanish squad, Enric Mas.
Source: La Verdad
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