Nairo Quintana reveals that he declined chance to ride with Chris Froome at Team Sky

Nairo Quintana could have ridden alongside Chris Froome at Team Sky, but decided to decline the offer to stay with Movistar Team. Today we tell you the story;

In 2014, the cycling world was amazed by Nairo Quintana's performance in the Giro d'Italia. There, he conquered the "maglia rosa" as champion, demonstrating his ability in the mountains and his capacity to fight against the best riders in the world. Two years later, in 2016, Nairo took victory in the Vuelta a España, cementing his status as one of the best climbers and Grand Tour riders in professional cycling.

In addition to these victories, Quintana reached the podium three times in the Tour de France, the most prestigious race in world cycling. His most memorable duel in this competition was against a formidable rival, Chris Froome.

The epic battles with Chris Froome.

Chris Froome, then at the helm of Team Sky (now INEOS), was the big star of world cycling, and the Tour de France was his playground. For several years, Nairo Quintana, defending the colours of the Movistar team, and Froome engaged in epic battles for the coveted yellow jersey.

Despite his tenacity and skills in the mountains, Nairo never managed to beat the Briton in the Tour de France. Froome became a formidable rival and his Sky team, with a perfectly oiled machine, was always the winner in those editions.

What few know is that Nairo Quintana may have changed the course of cycling history by joining the ranks of British team Sky (now INEOS) in its heyday. This revelation came in an interview with Directv Sports, where the Colombian cyclist was subjected to a series of rapid-fire questions.

When asked about his toughest rival, Nairo initially replied "el INEOS..." but then rectified himself and mentioned the correct name, "el Sky," its predecessor. He acknowledged that he was made an offer that he decided to turn down.

Quintana continued his career with Movistar Team until 2019, before joining Arkea Samsic, where he remained until 2022. However, his time with that team was overshadowed by testing positive for tramadol during that year's Tour de France, resulting in his disqualification from the race. He has since failed to find a team to race with.