Nairo Quintana changes plans - Movistar rider starts season at Tour Colombia

Nairo Quintana is racing again for Movistar Team, however his debut will not be in Europe anymore. The Colombian will start off his season close to home before making a big trip.

“It is a great indicator, even though it is very early in the season. But it immediately gives me an idea of where exactly we are now," Quintana told the Movistar Cycling Club. He revealed he'd start his season at the Tour Colombia, hence changing the initial plans of taking to the start of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana.

Both races start in similar dates so this won't be a meaningful change in his calendar. Like many other South Americans, Quintana is looking to start his season close to home and with friends and family close By. The Vuelta a San Juan is no longer a pro race, but the Colombian race has filled the spot perfectly and will host a bunch of stars including Richard Carapaz, Egan Bernal and Mark Cavendish at the very least.

Quintana will be another headliner in the race that starts on the 6th of February, and a contender for the overall classification. In the past the race has provided a lot of spectacle and roaring crowds and the same is expected this time around.