Eusebio Unzué: "If Carlos Rodríguez had come, the signing of Nairo Quintana would still take place"
Cycling
Nairo Quintana's return to Movistar Team has been a hot topic in the cycling world and team boss Eusebio Unzué offered a revealing perspective on this decision and other crucial aspects for the Spanish outfit.
"He still has interesting things to give us. He's a rider who has contributed a lot to this team," Unzué told AS after the presentation, emphasizing the contribution and potential Quintana can offer the team.
The key meeting between Unzué and Quintana took place during the fourth stage of La Vuelta on August 29, when Andorra received the start. At a significant moment, Nairo, who usually resides in Andorra, came over to greet and dialogue with Eusebio. "Yes, that day was important, and we also had dinner," revealed Unzué, underlining the relevance of that negotiation for the Colombian's return to the team.
However, there were other movements in the team at that time. Carlos Rodríguez, despite having an agreement, moved away from Movistar. Faced with this, Unzué clarified: "Probably, if Carlos had come, the arrival of Nairo would still take place. It didn't affect him, they were different things," clearing up any possible interference between the two situations.
While Quintana's return has been a point of interest, Unzué also highlighted another crucial issue for the team: the active search for a second sponsor. This operation, still underway, seeks to strengthen the team's financial structure and ensure its long-term sustainability.
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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- there are more vicious injuries on a road bike than a mountain bike far and away.mij15-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas15-11-2026 - Many Europeans say that Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia are one of the most beautiful countries in Europe known for their stunning landscapes because of the Alp mountains, green forests, clean rivers and lakes, coastlines, and national parks.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- Pogi=Baby Hulk=Smash !!!PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- I was in Maribor last summer (while spending time in Graz with family) but of course it was the day of independence and everything was shut. Sigh. Lovely walk on the river. (And yes, I’m Austrian and live in the US.)RidesHills15-11-2026
- Riding a mountain bike off road after his injuries is not very responsiblecaptmike15-11-2026
- disagreed. in this year's tdf he was unable to ride away from the young guns in the stages before his crash. there were several riders at least close to, if not on, his level in the second week: seixas, remco, del toro, lipo. next year jonas is a year older and the younger riders gained a year of experience and strength. if you then try to skip part of the high altitude training ... i doubt that jonas will make the podium at tdf 27. for sure he is not the favourite for runner up. he will be in the mix, yes. but not THE favourite for 2nd place.Ketterechts15-11-2026
- That means you're Austrian, like Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was born close to Gradec, very close to Maribor. We used to do a lot of shopping in Gradec in the 70's and 80's, when Slovenia was still a part of communist Yugoslavia. Today we have good relationships with the Austrians. Many Slovenians are working there.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- headline criticism agreed. but otherwise he certainly has a point. you can negotiate extra perks if you are way above he rest ... however, these times have long gone ...Ketterechts15-11-2026
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Nairo Quintana será el líder del @Movistar_Team en el Giro de Italia. Einer Rubio lo acompañará como segunda espada. ⚔️🇨🇴 Será la tercera participación del boyacense en un Giro. La última vez que la corrió fue en el 2017 (subcampeón).
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