Giro d'Italia, La Vuelta... Nairo Quintana shares big goals for 2025 and first races of the season
Cycling
Nairo Quintana made a comeback to the cycling world in 2024 after a year off due to a Tramadol positive in 2022, and made an impression again with Movistar. He did not take a win, but has taken on a different role with the team, that of a leader and experienced figure to help it's developing riders. Into 2025, he shares what his main objectives will be.
"... We have been in Valencia doing two very good weeks of training, and I have seen the youngsters on the team quite strong," Quintana said in an interview with AS at the team's recent presentation. "As for me, the sensations have been good, with great numbers and wanting to continue enjoying the competition".
Quintana this year came very close to winning a stage at the Giro d'Italia, only beaten by Tadej Pogacar who caught him in the final kilometers of the stage into Mottolino after he had dropped his breakaway companions. He showed good form towards the end of the Vuelta a España and Italian Autumn classics, but the current level is simply much greater than what he had competed against in previous years.
Next month, he starts off the season with a traditional calendar in Spain: "I will start with the Challenge of Mallorca. I will also do Almería, Tirreno-Adriatico, Volta a Catalunya... I will try to prepare for the Giro d'Italia in the best possible way because it is one of my objectives. My schedule is a bit similar to last season. The idea is also to be at La Vuelta to help Enric get him to the podium or higher," he also confirms. It will be a season where he will have often freedom to chase his own results, combining that with a few races where he will be a support rider.
The team signed Pablo Castrillo as the biggest prospect for upcoming seasons, someone Quintana looks forward to race with: "We have new signings that give strength to the team and with the arrival of Pablo I ask for calm, that we don't crush him. He himself will take the appropriate steps and we will surely see him giving some surprises in the Tour. We have seen that Iván Romeo has taken that step in the time trial with his gold and it gives him confidence to fight with the best and the consolidation of Pelayo [Sánchez] and Castrillo. The intention is for the youngsters to take steps forward and we try to guide them and give them our experience."
Quintana was lastly asked about the likely selection of former teammate Alejandro Valverde as the new national coach of Spain: "He has always done very well for his country, he has given himself both to help win and to do it himself and now it will be no different. He has a great eye and great experience, he is a very skilled rider, one of the most successful in the history of cycling and you have a luxury with him in Spain.
Read also
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I don’t get the Voldemort comment but much appreciate what you wrote. As there was no other return regarding my idea, it seems they’re ok to continue posting in this article and as we have freedom of speech I’ll go OT, if anyone other than you reads on, I warn you, it’s probably a waste of your time, but, your choice ;-). Portugal is a pretty good choice, only negatives are price rises but maybe you bought in time and anyway downscaling from the US or many other EU countries that is just a first world citizen problem, worse is the rising risk of foreigner resentment but in my experience this is more a social and media discussion than an individual one, if you behave correctly (many feel the need of that freedom to behave like they wish and then wonder why others turn against them) you’ll never have personal issues with anyone just because you’re from elsewhere. CH, D, A kill joy, spirit and curiosity, though south CH (Ticino, lake areas) mixes a bit of I mentality and has sun so might be worth exploring. H is sitting on a fence geopolitically, too unclear how it’ll go. Budapest is great and relaxed but nature aside there’s little more of interest to a seasoned traveler. Scandinavia, Iceland, FI GB all very interesting and beautiful but without reasons the weather is too off-putting, yes. F bureaucracy can kill you, most of the Mediterranean places are good if you pick well, many generally ignored issues can become crucial. Greece is often overlooked. Crete as an example would suit me. Have lived in B, NL, F, UK, E, L and spent a lot of time in I, visited friends/travelled to NY, Cali & Hawaii, Barbados, Iceland, Belarus, Turkey, Vietnam, UAE, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and more than 80% of the rest of Europe. Never had a real problem except with individuals, even during tensions (war/civil unrest). Freedom of speech is an exaggerated problem outside certain very well known places. I mean who of us would feel like standing on a box in public preaching stuff to strangers, do many of us really have such strong agendas to promote? As long as people can talk to each other openly when they feel like it, let’s just live life.Mistermaumau02-01-2025
- i really do relate to your deep concerns about the perils of allowing dangerously manipulative discourse in a largely unchecked way. in the current social/political climate in the US you can FEEL that peril constantly if you’re paying any attention and you’re willing to actually think through it. really, man, i get it. the problem for me, though, is i can’t really find an example of a country that limits/controls/restrains speech via its institutions and institutional state apparatuses that i would actually prefer to live in. all the places i look at and think YUP, I MIGHT WANNA LIVE THERE are countries with levels of free speech that equal (some might argue they exceed) that of the united states. if it weren’t for the incessant cold i’d be totally up for living in denmark, norway or switzerland. i AM going to live at least half the year in portugal (having already bought a house there precisely because my mind is quieter and i feel more peaceful when i’m not in the US), and there are lots of other places that are on that list that all have protected speech to nearly absolute degree. conversely, i NEVER spend ANY time thinking “maybe i’ll take my wife and dogs and move to Belarus.” or russia, or china, or hungary, or central african republic, or yemen, or…” You get the idea. i’m well aware of my ignorance of so many of the world’s cultures, so if there’s somewhere out there that’s figured out how to LIMIT SPEECH and, by doing so, produce a more enlightened, more peaceful and compassionate and HAPPIER way of life for its citizens, then i’ll sell everything and move THERE (as long as there are nice places to pedal a bicycle and they have rideable surf and plenty of sun).OCexile02-01-2025
- He seems to be suggesting that never winning the Tour would be fine because (a) no one else will do the Olympics double that he did, and (b) that double is as good as anything anyone else will achieve. Mind games with self, I think.Renz02-01-2025
- How is it not a team just because they have a $50 million payroll? Ridiculous comment.mij02-01-2025
- How is it not ok??? That makes no sense. The Tour de France is the biggest sporting event in the world, and the top ride makes $6.0 million?? THAT makes no sense.mij02-01-2025
- voldemortOCexile02-01-2025
- Am I mistaken or can every comment by Remco be distilled down into just one word? "Me"Sweep01-01-2025
- If you're going to be a WT rider you don't have any time left over to world class anything else.Sweep01-01-2025
- Trophy Teams. Plain and simple. Eventually all that's left at the table are the whales.Sweep01-01-2025
- You know what - part of me feels like it's a good thing: how many potential cycling greats did we miss out on because they (or their parents) chose a more lucrative sport (e.g. football, tennis, etc.)?Pogboom01-01-2025