The current situation of the Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana It is very complicated, his future is in limbo and it is a big question mark, because when the season is near the end he does not know where he is going, he does not have a contract with any team and what is going to happen is not seen with good eyes.
The disqualification of Tour de Franceafter two of his blood tests showed the substance tramadol, prohibited by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in competitions, he has it against the wall.
(Nairo Quintana: what comes after the appeal before the TAS)
(Luis Díaz, a brave man in the middle of the drama: his first message after his injury)
He was sixth in the race, he was once again the leading runner from other years and was on a ‘honeymoon’ with the team Arkea-Samsicto which he arrived in 2020 to achieve a single goal: upload it to the world-tourthe highest category in world cycling, but everything ended badly.
And when that was about to happen, when the French group had in their pocket the passage without problem to the World Tour, the scandal broke out in the Tour de France, because their two analyzes presented that substance, prohibited by the rector of cycling, but that is not on the black list of the World Anti-Doping Agencyso it is not considered a violation of the entity code.
Nairo wanted to run the Back to Spainbut they didn’t let him. In the Arkea they informed him that the best thing was to defend himself, to prepare all his ‘weaponry’ to appeal to the CAS, an issue that is still pending, with the aim of recovering those 455 points that he currently lacks in the scale.
That was Llorente’s vase, the drop that overflowed the glass, the high point for the relationship with the arkea definitely broke.
Although two days before the Vuelta it was announced that he would renew his contract, it was not signed, and with the Tour scandal, the decision was not to continue, as the French group was pressured by its sponsors, who wanted to avoid a scandal plus.
Difficult moment
Nairo is experiencing a difficult moment in his career today, because with the file open at the TAS and without any decision, his validity in cycling is in suspense. Although he is a running back with a cartel, which many want to have, it is clear that the teams are careful not to hire a man with that kind of drawback.
And if the decision of the CAS is against, worse. The groups will want to have on their payroll riders who have no problems, who have a clean resume in terms of anti-doping control issues.
Nairo has a bad record. In 2020, his hotel room was raided by the French gendarmerie, which was investigating the use of prohibited substances.
The investigation has not been closed, it is still open, although no new details are known, but on that occasion, Nairo, his brother, dayerY Winner Anaconaas well as Arkea and its sponsors, were in the public pillory.
That, together with the case of tramadol in the last Tour, it conditions a Nairo, who has two antecedents that are difficult to overcome, almost impossible to erase.
No team can afford to sign him with the case unsolved. That the CAS denies the appeal and confirms the sanction of the UCI is counterproductive for a cycling structure, which would not be viewed favorably and would always be in the eye of the hurricane for having a member of the squad marked with an X.
‘It’s braked’
Nor is anyone interested in ‘signing’ a fight with the ICUwhich is finally the one that has been in charge of sanctioning Quintana.
It is true that the UCI is the rector, the one that removes and adds, that is why it is difficult for a ‘designated’ runner to be taken into account, because that would generate inconveniences.
(Linda Caicedo sets off alarms: tears and pain in World Cup debut)
That Nairo reaches a team can be frowned upon by the entity and nobody should marry a conflict with her, especially when its president, David Lappartient, has been confident that the organization he leads will win the case against the Colombian.
“He is in a difficult situation. It’s unfortunate what Nairo is going through. He is an excellent professional, a successful runner, very regular, but the issue with the UCI has him doomed”, he told TIME the former Spanish runner Ígor Antón, winner of stages in the Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia.
And he added: “This is going to stop him, because it is not easy for them to sign him with this problem on top of him. He’s a good signing, that’s for sure, but the thing is that this problem has him doomed, it conditions him and nobody wants a rider who raises questions”.
There are teams that want it, for sure, because it is a guarantee of success, there must be many who want it, but the problem with tramadol makes people freak out”.
Antón, who took part in 21 major races and was twice in the top 10 in the Vuelta, points out that the future of the Colombian is not very clear and that it will depend on the decision of the CAS.
“It is a shame that this has happened. Nairo is a cyclist who can get points, that’s what he did with Arkea, it took him to where he is. There are teams that want it, for sure, because it is a guarantee of success, it must have many who want it, but the problem with tramadol makes people scare”, Antón specified.
Since he announced that he was no longer going with Arkea, Nairo has dreamed of going to a World Tour team, but several of them have opted, have come out against the rumors and have denied it.
Ag2r and Astana There have been two of them, and it is clear that they do it not because they are not interested in having him, but because they avoid earning a problem.
“That is not going to allow him to sign a good contract. A cyclist with that inconvenience is marked and that is known. They are not interested in having someone who has that background, that is very dangerous. Everything will depend on what the CAS says, if he declares him innocent, that will help him, but for now he is convicted, “he said. Claudio Corti, who has been manager of teams like Barloworld and Team Colombia.
Corti points out that Nairo is a rider who has a poster, despite his 32 years, because he has earned a place and respect in the lot and without that inconvenience many will want him.
“It is clear that it can serve. He will not win a big one, but he will fight for it, he will fight for stage wins, for good positions in the general classification of short races and that generates points for the teams, but to start fighting with the UCI is not good for anyone. In addition, the teams that are still on the World Tour have done so without Nairo”, specified the Italian.
Winner of the Giro d’Italia
point against
Another key point is that although the fight for relegation and promotion of the World Tour is latent, from 2023 everything will start from scratch and the teams will have three years to settle into the rankings and fight not to descend.
“The fear of descending is over at this part and that is no longer something important, for now. Nairo is the injured party, there is no solution yet and the more time passes and the CAS does not say anything, Well, he will not have the option to sign, because all those who want him must wait for that so as not to get into a problem, “he assured. Javier Minguezwho has been a coach for several teams and the Spanish cycling team and who understands very well the delicate situation in which Nairo is at the moment.
Mínguez affirms that it would be fatal for Quintana if the TAS confirmed the UCI’s decision, because no one, even if they want to sign him, will do so to go against him.
“I do not know what’s happening. It seems to me that Nairo has been persecuted, since tramadol is not a doping substance. No team can sign him without knowing what is going to happen and the more days go by and a definitive one is not known, it will be up in the air, ”said the DT.
And sentenced: “Sometimes I think it’s a persecution against Nairo and that this will continue, even if the CAS rules in his favor, since the UCI can continue to persecute him, something that, for sure, will harm the group he reaches, his cyclists, the technicians, those on his rope.
The problem is of a gigantic size, perhaps unthinkable, because the runner, for whom many are the one with the best results in cycling in the country, may be near the end of his sports career, due to this inconvenience that he goes through in the present.
The possibility of ‘hanging the bicycle’ is not in the best way. Nairo is an experienced runner, a winner, who likes to set himself big challenges, fight for them, who doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
That the CAS confirms the decision of the UCI could be a low blow for the champion of the Giro d’Italia 2014 and Vuelta a España 2016who would have few options to be signed by a team with ambitions and in which he can appear.
If that happens, Nairo would have little chance of signing with a World Tour or World Tour group. ProTeamthe two main categories of cycling, which would force him to leave with a team of lesser value and with little flashy objectives.
Will it interest you?
(Kylian Mbappé: the ‘PSGate’ exploded, with trolls to harm the player)
(Shakira and Piqué: singer will release ‘Monotonia’ and the memes are already exploding in networks)
#URGENT 🚨 | 🚴🏻♂️🇨🇴🎙 OFFICIAL STATEMENTS🎙 Nairo Quintana after his hearing before the TAS for the positive control of Tramadol from the past Tour de France 2022 🚴🏻♂️🇨🇴🎙
📺© PRESS @NairoQuinCo pic.twitter.com/cYa9iNM04U
– Cycling World (@mundociclistico) October 12, 2022
Lisandro Rengifo
Editor of THE TIME
@lisandroabel
#Nairo #Quintana #limbo #big #problem #born #future #suspense