“After this one, there will only be one more” - Nairo Quintana’s retirement countdown continues as Montreal Worlds marks penultimate race of iconic career
CyclingSunday, 27 September 2026 at 18:15
Seventeen years after first representing Colombia, Nairo Quintana will pull on his national colours for the final time at the World Championships in Montreal on Sunday. By the time he takes them off again, only one race will remain in one of the most successful careers Colombian cycling has ever produced.
The 36-year-old is now firmly into the final days of his professional career, but there was still a familiar sight waiting for him ahead of the elite men's road race. Colombian flags lined the roadside, while chants of “Nairoman” followed Quintana as he prepared for one last World Championship start.
“Yes, Colombian support at all the races is always huge,” Quintana told Cycling Pro Net. “It’s a country that breathes and lives cycling, and that’s why they’re always here.”
For Quintana, Sunday also brings to an end a relationship with the Colombian national team stretching back almost two decades. “Very well, very happy. I made my first appearance 17 years ago, and to finish today alongside all the young riders also gives me a lot of joy,” he said when asked how he was feeling before his final race for Colombia. “I’m very happy to represent my country.”
Quintana is set to retire at the end of 2026
From Tour de France breakthrough to one final ride for Colombia
Few Colombian riders have worn those colours with a palmarès to match Quintana's. His breakthrough at the 2013 Tour de France was spectacular. At his first attempt, Quintana finished second overall behind Chris Froome, won a mountain stage and left Paris with both the mountains and young rider jerseys.
Twelve months later came the first Grand Tour victory of his career as he became the first Colombian winner of the Giro d'Italia. He returned to the Tour podium in 2015 and 2016, then defeated Froome at the 2016 Vuelta a España to add a second Grand Tour to his record.
There were victories elsewhere too, including Tirreno-Adriatico, the Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Romandie and Itzulia Basque Country, while his three Tour de France podiums made him one of Froome's most persistent Grand Tour rivals during the Briton's dominant years. Movistar credits Quintana with 51 professional victories across his career.
Even 2026 has brought one last reminder that the old winning instinct had not completely disappeared. In April, Quintana claimed both a stage victory and the overall title at the Vuelta Asturias, taking his third career victory in the Spanish race.
Montreal presents a rather different challenge. Almost 274 kilometres and close to 4,000 metres of climbing await the peloton, much of it accumulated through repeated laps over the short, punchy climbs around Mont Royal. Whatever Quintana can produce on that circuit, there will be no more appearances in the Colombian jersey once it is over.
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“After this one, there will only be one more”
For much of the year, exactly where Quintana would say goodbye to professional cycling remained uncertain. When he announced that 2026 would be his final season, there was an obvious symmetry to the possibility of bowing out at the Vuelta a España, ten years after the biggest victory of his career. That opportunity disappeared when Movistar left him out of its final eight-rider selection.
Montreal then looked like another possible finishing point, but Quintana has now confirmed there is still one final appointment to come. “There aren’t many races left now either,” he said. “After this one, there will only be one more, so I’m very happy.”
And when asked directly whether the World Championships would be the end, Quintana removed any remaining doubt. “Next week I’ll do my final race with my team, and that will be my last race as a professional.”
Where exactly that farewell will take place is one detail he is keeping to himself for a little longer. “In Italy,” Quintana replied when asked where he would race next. Pressed for the name of the event, he added: “I’ll let you know later, but yes, I’ll be in Italy next week.”
Sunday therefore closes the Colombian chapter rather than Quintana's entire career. After 17 years, two Grand Tour victories, three Tour de France podiums and a career which helped put Colombian cycling firmly among the sport's modern powers, there is one final ride in the national jersey to come around Montreal.
Then, just one race remains.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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