"If you hire Quintana you will not come to the Tour" - Eerie message that may have been given to several teams

The mystery surrounding Nairo Quintana and his future team is one that develops every week, but the most recent update sees Johan Bruyneel report that several teams have been threatened to be cut off the Tour de France if they were to sign the Colombian.

In the 'La Movida' podcast, former pro rider and team manager Johan Bruyneel has stated the following (around minute 09:00): "I know first-hand that there are teams that were interested in Quintana that need to have a wildcard that said clearly 'if you hire Quintana you will not come to the Tour'."

The statement is to be taken with a grain of salt, as Bruyneel has not presented evidence. However, it is not something to ignore as the communications behind Quintana and his possible transfer have been, to say the least, complicated and confusing.

After testing positive for tramadol during the Tour de France, Quintana was stripped of his place within the Top10, alongside the UCI points he had conquered. This had him sacked from Arkéa Samsic with whom he had agreed on a new three-year deal. Although he was not suspended, the timing and requirements for a team to sign the 32-year old made it a very hard task to handle, with several teams denying contact with the climber.

Most recently was Israel - Premier Tech, who had been said to be a virtual done deal by a Spanish journalist this past week. In late November, Quintana said in an interview with EFE agency that “I can't say much more. I will be in the WorldTour, I will continue to pedal hard and look ahead".

He has also said it's the team's responsibility to announce the transfer. Over a month after his initial statements, no official announcements have been made. There is a cloud of mystery surrounding Quintana which continues to get thicker by the day.