10/06/2024

Could Nairo Quintana end up racing the 2024 Tour de France with Movistar Team?

Movistar Team has planned Nairo Quintana's 2024 season, focusing first on the Giro d'Italia, where he arrived very short of form, and for the Vuelta a España. From Colombia, however, there is talk of the possibility that he could ride the Tour de France.

Thus, from Antena 2, it is said that Nairo would have commented that, although initially it is not planned to race it, he could end up doing it: "It is not in the plans, but if necessary due to external situations, he would be willing".

Movistar Team will arrive at the Tour de France with Enric Mas as the undisputed leader. The Mallorcan is currently competing in the Tour de Suisse with Nairo Quintana in what is their first race together in 2024. Quintana's presence in the mountainous race, alongside Einer Rubio as well, could be a sign of him preparing for the Grand Boucle.

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In the provisional list of participants of the Tour de France 2024 Movistar has included 6 riders: Enric Mas, Rémi Cavagna, Gregor Mühlberger, Davide Formolo, Nelson Oliveira and Alex Aranburu. It is not expected that Nairo will be able to fill one of the two places that are still free because, as we have explained, it is planned that he will race the Vuelta a España (also with Enric Mas) at the end of the season. Oier Lazkano and Javier Romo showed incredible form at the Criterium du Dauphiné and could well be the last two cards for Movistar to pick.

REAL CHOICE?

One reason for not believing that Nairo Quintana can ride the Tour de France has to do with the fact that ASO, the company that organizes the race, has criticized him harshly after his positive for tramadol in the French race in 2022, which kept him out of competition for a year because no WorldTour team wanted his services.

Since his return, he has raced in Europe in the Volta a Catalunya, the Giro d'Italia and is now racing the Tour de Suisse, none of these events organized by ASO. Is it a coincidence? Very complicated, even if Movistar ends up having unforeseen casualties that the Colombian will race the Grande Boucle 2024.