Nairo Quintana satisfied after the 'mini Strade Bianche' of the Giro d'Italia: "We had Einer in front and free of crashes"

Nairo Quintana crossed the finish line in 49th position, in a group 5:10 behind the day's winner Wout van Aert in a brutal stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia 2025. However, the Colombian Movistar Team rider's goal is no longer the overall classification of a three-week race, but he is there to play the role of a luxury domestqiue for his compatriot and teammate Einer Rubio.

In statements collected by Cycling Pro Net, Nairo spoke about his feelings of the day, "Yeah, well, these days are crazy. To save them in falls is a good achievement. We are alive and with good options to move and hope that we have this same level and the same feeling for when the mountain comes. We've had Einer up front and also crash-free and it's a big deal."

Quintana did not cross the finish line with his usual bike, which led the interviewer to wonder why, "Yes, in the last kilometers, we were chasing behind, I had a puncture. But I came with a teammate, we quickly changed the bike to get in that little group and well, always having a good margin of time to move," replied the Colombian.

He downplayed the importance of his result, knowing that the main thing was to save the day with the team leader, Einer Rubio:, "They are very difficult days and well, it's part of the show, sometimes ahead, sometimes a little further back. But well, the important thing is to do well, enjoy and save the days as we go".

The word "enjoy" caught the attention of the journalist, who emphasized that the suffering makes many do not have a very good time on the bike in this type of routes, "Well, we have prepared for that. We suffer but we enjoy it, as we say in my country. And it's part of the job," Nairo responded with humor.

Finally, he was asked about the Mexican Isaac del Toro, second in the stage and new leader of the Giro d'Italia, "It is a pride for Latin America, we have represented a whole region and to be able to motivate so many children, to have sown those seeds. Today you can see part of the fruits, that motivation that in one way or another is done at different times. It is exciting to see them today as they win and it is clear that they are generations, some shine, others fade away and that is the cycle of life and the cycle of sport. And to give that to this new generation, once again a Latin American, is a source of pride.