He Italy spin, the first 'big' cycling event of the year, will start in 15 days in Venaria Reale and according to the calendar Nairo Quintana This will be his main objective in 2024, since Movistar designated him at the start of the year as leader of his squad.
Bad preparation
Quintana was excited about the season, but it has not been what he expected, for him, the team and his fans. Nairo was fourth in the time trial at the cycling nationals and finished 26th in the long-distance event.
He was a figure in Colombia Tour, but he finished 21st, 8 minutes and 37 seconds behind the winner, Rodrigo Contreras. I was going to travel to Europe to be in the O Great Roadbut he was infected by covid-19 and that truncated his plans.
He recovered, traveled to Spain, took part in the Return to Cataloniabut he fell and retired, one more problem that has him against the wall.
When everything indicated that he would be in the Alps TourMovistar announced that the rider from Boyacá had practically torn his sterno-clavicular ligament, so he had to stop his preparation for the Giro. Everything that has happened to him has harmed him.
The Colombian cyclist had to withdraw from the last stage of the Tour of Catalonia.
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If he goes to the Giro, something that has not yet been confirmed, since he will not arrive in the best conditions, he has not developed the initial plan. He has been seen training in recent days, but on the mountain bike, not the road bike, so it is a big unknown what he will do in the Giro.
Weighty words
“I don't think I'm not doing kilometers, because the Giro is a demanding race. Well, it is not the Quintana that it was, to win, but it must be in condition to fight, to be in the fight for a stage,” indicated the Spanish coach. Javier Mínguez.
And he added: “Not running is complicated if you haven't done adequate training. If you haven't been able to train, it's complicated. The injury is one thing, being able to train is another. “You have to be in the right condition to go to those races.”
Quintana, in recent days on his social networks, affirms that he will go to the Giro, confirming what has been said since the start of the year. However, his condition is not the best.
“The other thing is what it is going for. If he is a leader, I don't know. Movistar is risking everything in the Back to Spain and if Nairo is not competitive in the Giro, then he will be in the Vuelta. He is already a veteran, he is tough, he is a rider who has quality and experience, that is why the Giro is not a strong concern,” stated Mínguez.
Surprise?
Pello Ruiz Cabestany, one of the most recognized former Spanish runners in Colombia, has another vision, with which he opens a light of hope for a good performance by Quintana.
“There are runners who do not have good preparation and walk a lot in the race. I can expect anything from Nairo, like him not being around or being hidden and giving a surprise. These cases have occurred, runners who run little, arrive and walk,” Cabestany said.
Nairo Quintana's condition for the Giro, based on his background, is not good, and arriving at a race of such magnitude without having achieved planned work indicates that not much could be expected from him.
“I don't know if he will be ahead or not, he could give us a surprise. If I were certain that she doesn't train, well, here they play by hiding their cards so as not to let anyone see what she did. There is a possibility tha
t he will do well and give us a surprise,” Cabestany said.
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