Nairo Quintana doesn’t stop dreaming and announces his long-awaited return to the Vuelta a España, while he recovers from a fracture

Nairo Quintana This season, he is showing some of the flashes he showed between 2014 and 2017 when he was considered one of the strongest cyclists in the world. In the twilight of his career, his goals have changed, but his thirst for success has not.

The cyclist from Boyacá has had a season with several ups and downs, from falls in the Tour of Catalonia and a positive for covid 19, until the outstanding presentation at the Italy spin, where he played an important role in Movistar and fought the queen stage against the indomitable Tadej Pogacar.

Nairo, to the Vuelta a España

Nairo He is in the recovery stage after the non-displaced fracture of the fourth metatarsal of his right hand, which forced him to leave the Tour of Switzerland last June.

While continuing with the rehabilitation process, the man born in Cómbita Boyacá announced this Tuesday that he will run the Back to Spain, the last major race in the International Cycling Union’s exhaustive calendar.

Quintana was in the broadcast of stage 4 of the Tour de France in ESPN And, in the middle of the conversation, he confessed that he is going to run the Spanish race. “Initially, that is how it is,” Nairo began saying after being asked about his presence in the Vuelta a España that will be run from August 17 to September 8.

Nairo returns after 5 years

“It took me four days to get back on the road. It hasn’t been easy. I had to stop, I have to start, the intention is that I will be in the Vuelta a España,” were the words of the 34-year-old Colombian.

“After what I was able to observe what was the Tour of Switzerland and that was part of my participation, despite not having taken part, it was important for the preparation for what will be the next challenge, which will be the Back to Spain for the month of August,” added the cyclist from Boyacá.

It will be a special return for Nairo Quintana, who conquered the Back to Spain in 2016 with Movistar, but has not competed in this competition for 5 years, his last participation was in the 2019 edition.

Tour de France analysis

Nairo Quintana He not only spoke about his present and
future, in the middle of one of his interventions he highlighted the performance of his compatriot Egan Bernal in the Tour de France.

“For me, it’s Egan Bernal, but they’ve also seen the performance of Carlos Rodríguez. Egan has been growing, he’s had very good numbers, but the results have been given by Carlos and Geraint is added, who comes from being third in the Giro and is looking strong,” he said.

And about Pogacar he said: “Pogacar will win the Tour, I say it boldly. He is very strong, his team is very strong. Surely Egan and Carapaz will be very close to the first. The general classification will be very tight, probably until the last moment.”

HAROLD YEPES

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