Nairo Quintana still hasn't found a team and the Radio Cycling colleagues have wanted to give an Anglo-Saxon point of view regarding the situation the Colombian cyclist is experiencing. For them, no WorldTour squad wants to hire him because his reputation would be 'damaged'.
"Nairo is not sanctioned and they could hire him to run tomorrow. There have been contacts, but no team wants to sign him because his reputation is damaged and the squads do not want to be associated with that," they explain. "Due to his record and his class, he believes that he deserves a place among the elite. A confidant of Quintana has told me that he is too proud and has too much ego to sign with a Colombian continental team."
It is the opinion of Radio Cycling that his 'ego' would not be allowing him to accept the situation he is in and they even say that he should admit his situation and retire:
"There is some concern among his management team and others around him with this approach. One told me, 'I just don't understand what your team is doing.' And they said it would be better for Quintana to accept reality and retire, but again, his ego probably wouldn't let him."
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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🇨🇴 Nairo Quintana said last week that he's "still hopeful of a return to racing soon", but @cmbell310 reveals on the latest RadioCycling why the two-time GrandTour winner will probably never return to the WorldTour. 🎙️Listen now to RadioCycling. linktr.ee/radiocycling
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