Monte Grappa a talisman for Nairo Quintana, 10 years after he won Giro d'Italia: "It was one of the most wonderful and beautiful days of my life"
Cycling
Nairo Quintana is facing his last chance to win a stage in the Giro d'Italia 2024 on a climb that he knows perfectly and that brings back great memories, since in a time trial on Monte Grappa (which is climbed twice today) he won the Corsa Rosa in 2014. The Movistar Team's Colombian recalled it with joy before the start of the stage.
"It was one of the most wonderful and beautiful days of my life and my sporting career, it was to confirm being able to fight for a grand tour after I had been on the podium of the Tour de France in 2013," Quintana said in words to CyclingPro.net this morning. "It was to reconfirm it, in a time trial with some great rivals it was spectacular."
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He was questioned about the characteristics of the climb, which he did not want to detail, although he assured that it is for climbers and that the second time it is tackled it will be much faster. The key for the Colombian will be in the attacks that occur among the riders in the general classification to gain positions:
"It's a climb purely for climbers, today we will climb twice, the first will be almost an hour of climbing and the second will be a little less surely, it will be difficult, we will see the faces of the people in the general classification who will try to take the position from the rival in front of them, it will be a show accompanied by rain."
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Finally, he made it clear that he is enjoying his return to a grand tour after more than a year without being able to compete. The Movistar rider is enjoying every day and is something he assures that he will try to continue doing:
"It's enjoyable, every moment I'm on the bike I live it very well and I hope today will be a great day for us."
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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🇫🇷 #Boucles53: Jornada clave en Francia para la general, con +3500m de terreno muy sinuoso 🇮🇹 #Giroditalia: La definición de la 'Corsa Rosa', con 2x Monte Grappa (18 km al 8%) 🤯
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