First modification:
The Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana confirmed that he seeks to continue in professional cycling, thus denying the rumors about a possible withdrawal. He thanked the support of fans, sponsors and journalists, as well as the Colombian teams that have extended their hand. In his mind, he said, he is continuing to compete in the best races in the world.
Nairo Quintana will continue to seek to be part of professional cycling. He does not retire, he does not give up, he does not cease in his efforts to show that since 2009, when he turned professional, he has been a cyclist who has “respected the rules, competed with integrity and respected and honored fair play”. .
This was expressed by the Boyacá cyclist at a press conference in Bogotá. Colombia and the world of cycling were immersed in uncertainty due to the rumors of the possible withdrawal that ran through some media and social networks during the week, despite the fact that his press team privately announced that Nairo would not make such an announcement.
“I am a cyclist who is used to rain, cold, heat, falls and scratches, but also to get up and keep pedaling. Struggle and sacrifice are the ways I know to develop in life. I am going to continue fighting to compete and to continue on the bike until my body and my mind resist”, Quintana asserted.
“A true cyclist does not give up in the face of adversity”
Quintana began the press conference by announcing that he would read some words written in his handwriting. Under the particular patriotic tone that surrounds Colombian cycling, the climber from Boyacá reviewed the path of effort that he has had to do as part of a cycling that has been nourished by men and women who have come from the field.
“I consider myself a fighter, who, above all, recognizes in Colombian cycling men and women who overcome all kinds of circumstances: poverty, inequality, discrimination and injustice,” he said.
An effort and a discipline that, he recalled, have led him to be the Colombian and Latin American cyclist with the best track record in history. All this to confirm that he is moving forward, without a team, but training hard to compete in the best races in the world.
“Today I want to tell you that I am in good shape to continue, that due to the events of recent months, in which the rarefied environment in which I have developed is undeniable and the inexplicable wall that has been raised between the possibilities of competing and my desires to continue doing it, I do not give up and I continue forward, “he said.
Sanctioned for use of tramadol in the past Tour de France
The “undeniably rarefied environment” to which the cyclist referred began on August 17, 2022. Then, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced that Quintana was sanctioned for the use of Tramadol in the Tour de France that same year. As a consequence, he was disqualified after having finished sixth.
Tramadol is not a doping substance, so Nairo Quintana did not violate anti-doping rules. However, it is a substance prohibited by the UCI since 2019 “with the aim of preserving the health of the runners, taking into account the side effects of this substance.”
Nairo always denied having used this medication and appealed the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which last November confirmed that the Colombian had violated the UCI medical regulations. In between, in October the athlete broke his contract with Arkea-Samsic, a French team to which he had belonged since 2019.
A path full of speculation
Since then, Nairo Quintana has continued to defend his innocence in this case which, we remind you, does not imply a sanction for doping, but rather a breach of the UCI medical regulations. The reality is that he is still without a team with fewer and fewer chances of running in Europe this 2023.
His case continues to leave many questions. During this January he was linked to the new Italian team Corratec, from the second category of cycling, which has been invited to the next Giro d’Italia. His manager, Serge Parsani, confirmed that there was interest, but two points prevented him from doing so: the budget and belonging to the Movement for Credible Cycling (MPCC).
“The UCI would need to give Nairo a hand by allowing him to reach a World Tour squad as we are all in the MPCC and only teams like Soudal-Quick Step, UAE and others that are not in the MPCC could hire him. In the same way, no one has said that he cannot run because he has not been sanctioned by the UCI ”, assured Parsani.
“The MPCC teams affirm that they do not recruit, in the 2 years following the suspension, even in the event of a continuation of the contract, riders recognized guilty (or recognized as implicated) in violation of the anti-doping rules of the World Anti-Doping Code, and who received a sanction of more than 6 months by the international instance or the national instance of their country”, reads the rule of the MPCC.
Under this premise, nothing would prevent Nairo Quintana from being hired today, which is why doubts about the case continue to arise within the world of cycling.
Meanwhile, Quintana has had offers from Colombian teams such as Team Medellín, but acknowledged that his “interest is to continue raising the country’s flag in the great races of the world.”
“I am convinced that the best talents in world cycling will come from our mountains, who will read my story and be inspired by it to go out and conquer the world. For now I want to continue with a bicycle writing more chapters ”, he asserted before affirming that he will travel to Europe in the second week of February. Perhaps then we will know a new chapter of this story.
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