After Enric Mas, Movistar also rule out Quintana and Gaviria from La Vuelta - "Nairo was one of the doubts"

Movistar Team is heading to their home Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España in the space of six days but their lineup is going to be quite different than expected. After the forced withdrawal of Enric Mas due to injury, the team is also not having neither Nairo Quintana or Fernando Gaviria in it's '8'.

Eusebio Unzué, the boss of the Spani team, spoke with journalist Jairo Chávez Ávila in the program La Hora del Ciclismo of Antena 2 of RCN Radio. During the interview, he gave clues about what they will take to the start in Torino next Saturday, August 23. "Next Tuesday we will make the final decision on those chosen for the Vuelta, although we already have a team 80 percent more or less defined, there are a couple of riders on which we have to make the decision. We have six fixed riders, but we will define everything this weekend," said the head of Abarca Sports.

Thus, Eusebio Unzué said that the final list will be announced soon, but he made it clear who will not go talking about Nairo Quintana, who fell during the fourth stage of the last Vuelta a Burgos. "Precisely Nairo was one of the doubts, but we have ruled him out for the Vuelta, after his crash in the Vuelta a Burgos, the rider needs time to recover". The Colombian had his sights on the final Grand Tour of the season, but has joined Mas in the sidelines for the time being.

Fernando Gaviria will also not be racing it, going through a very modest season without results to show for. "In this Vuelta a España there are practically no more than three or four clear sprint finishes, in fact, because of that condition I don't think there will be many sprinters, it's a Vuelta with a lot of mountains. This is the main reason for Gaviria not to be in the Spanish race."

Unzué was asked about the young Colombian Diego Pescador, who is a possibility for a Grand Tour debut. "The young rider is the first alternate in case any of the chosen climbers fail. He is the first reserve despite his youth, we believe he is ready to do a big tour that is progressing and is gaining a lot of experience. We had him in Paris-Roubaix and we are very satisfied with his progression and if he doesn't make the Vuelta this year, next year in one of the big ones, we will surely have him".

The preliminary startlist shared by the race this Saturday has the team's lineup featuring Jorge Arcas, Orluis Aular, Carlos Canal, Pablo Castrillo, Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda, Ivan García Cortina, Michel Hessmann and Javier Romo.