"I would have liked him to be there, but the circumstances..." - Movistar DS justifies Nairo Quintana's Vuelta absence
CyclingFriday, 28 August 2026 at 09:00
Nairo Quintana did not get to ride the final Vuelta a Espana of his career. The 2016 overall winner of the Spanish Grand Tour was left home by Movistar Team, arguing that the Colombian's presence was not compatible with the Spanish team's ambition of collecting as many UCI points as possible across the three weeks.
The relationship between Quintana and Movistar runs as deep as the 2012 season when Quintana debuted with the Spanish formation in WorldTour.
The Colombian climber immediately captured hearts of Spanish fans with his offensive racing style which, combined with his immense talent, saw Quintana rise to be one of the team's leaders from day one.
A perfect match
At the end of 2019 season, their paths parted. But when Quintana's career hit its lowest point over a disputable doping claim, it was Movistar who offered the Colombian a shelter from 2024 onwards.
Nairo Quintana in 2026
And even though he was denied that one final big victory in a Giro d'Italia 2024 stage 15 by none other than Tadej Pogacar, Quintana continued to pay off the team's trust, including a prized overall victory at Vuelta Asturias Julio Alvarez Mendo (2.1) this year.
Strategic decision that goes against heart
In his other appointments, Quintana finished 7th at Tour of Oman, 19th at Tirreno-Adriatico and 21st at both Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse. He was one of the most reliable Movistar leaders across the board. And yet, he was omitted in the nomination.
"Nairo has been a really important rider for us, and it was a difficult decision because we had to think about the team we were bringing to the Vuelta," sports director Chente García Acosta told Domestique.
Read also
As García Acosta points out, the situation in UCI ranking unfortunately did not favor stories as that of Quintana's Vuelta farewell. Movistar is not in a terrible position. But with just 500 points to spare, they need to stay on their toes.
"There’s the issue of the points and where we stand in the table, so it comes down to having not necessarily a more competitive team, but one that will pick up points. Personally, I would have liked him to have been there, but the circumstances are what they are."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Stop being so modest. Why would you hear that from a birdie? You and Pog are such good friends I think he may have told you that when you called him before the start.
Andrew29-08-2026 - Without a doubt it has changed its login many times and probably has more that one login that it uses to support itself.Andrew29-08-2026
- He can but does he want to is what you should asking Mr Americano. XxxAndrew29-08-2026
- @frieders3 - I am reasonably certain his mouth gets well worked at the gymAndrew29-08-2026
- Your mouth gets overworked - at the gym also old man ?frieders329-08-2026
- Pretty sure his login has changed multiple times due to being kicked off this site for idiotic comments.frieders329-08-2026
- Wout was a monster today. I really thought his day would end after the intermediate sprint.DAS28-08-2026
- Does your nationality change depending on what login name you use?Andrew28-08-2026
- Once again - How do you know, not assume, but know they were French? Were you there, did you interview them to ascertain their nationality? We do know that some people in the crowd were boo-ing but have no idea of their nationality.Andrew28-08-2026
- I heard a little birdy say before todays stage: "Tweet tweet... Tadej Pogačar will allow a break away today but at the end of the race he will still show Mas who the real boss is in this Vuelta....just for fun... tweet tweet !!!"PogiSloFans28-08-2026
Loading
Write a comment