"Nairo is also part of cycling history, he’s part of Movistar Team’s history" - Alberto Contador reacts to Quintana's La Vuelta absence

Cycling
Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 21:30
Nairo Quintana
Alberto Contador has weighed in on Nairo Quintana’s omission from Movistar Team’s selection for the Vuelta a España 2026, a decision that has sparked debate after leaving out the Colombian, winner of the race in 2016 and one of the Spanish team’s great historic references.
Asked whether the team should have offered Quintana the chance to bid farewell to the Grand Tours ten years after winning La Vuelta, Contador was cautious and avoided directly questioning the sporting decision taken by the Spanish outfit.
“Well, this is already a personal decision by the team,” the rider from Pinto told Diario As, before acknowledging he did not know exactly what shape the Colombian was in when the call was made. “The truth is I don’t know what level Nairo had, or didn’t have, compared to the teammates who are going to ride the Vuelta a España.”
Contador understands that a selection for a three-week race must, first and foremost, respond to sporting criteria. However, he also believes it is impossible to ignore the weight Quintana has carried both in recent cycling history and in the trajectory of Movistar Team itself.

“I thought he would be in this Vuelta”

“What’s clear is that Nairo is also part of cycling history, he’s part of Movistar Team’s history and, moreover, he has contributed a lot to the team,” he noted.
Quintana, 36, became one of the standout riders of the past decade. His victory in the 2014 Giro d’Italia, his triumph at La Vuelta in 2016, and second place at the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015 built a career that placed him among the best stage racers of his generation.
Precisely because of that legacy, Contador admits he expected to see him at the start of the 2026 Vuelta. “I thought he would be at the Vuelta a España,” acknowledged the winner of seven Grand Tours.
Even so, the Spanish former rider insists there are internal factors beyond public view that can justify a decision like the one taken by Movistar. “As I said, I don’t know what the team’s level was or what they based their decision on,” he concluded.
Quintana’s absence, in any case, is a particularly meaningful chapter. The 2026 Vuelta looked like a possible chance to close the circle of a career defined by major successes in the Spanish race. Ten years after last wearing the red jersey as winner, the Colombian will have to follow the race from the outside.
Nairo Quintana holding off Chris Froome at the 2016 Vuelta a España
Nairo Quintana holding off Chris Froome at the 2016 Vuelta a España 

A legacy that transcends results

Quintana’s story remains closely tied to La Vuelta. His 2016 victory came after an intense battle with Chris Froome and marked the second overall win by a Colombian in the Spanish grand tour.
Beyond his Grand Tour victories, the Colombian left a deep mark at Movistar during a period in which he shared leadership with Alejandro Valverde and became one of the team’s principal captains.
His absence in 2026 does not erase that legacy, but it does prevent him from riding a final Grand Tour with the team that was his home for so many years. For Contador, that historical dimension is evident, even if the final decision rests solely with the team.
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