20/02/2022

Nairo Quintana takes stage and overall win after raid at final stage of Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var

After a disappointing finale where he failed to get the win in yesterday's queen stage, Nairo Quintana once again went on the attack and this time managed to crack Tim Wellens. The Team Arkéa Samsic rider took an impressive solo stage win and the overall classification of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var.

With an uphill start up to the Col d'Éze the race was hard and attacked from the start with several GC riders on the move and trying to find an opportunity to raid the race. They were not let out, however the first hour of racing saw continuous action with no breakaway to properly be let off until 70 kilometers to go where a group with the likes of Thibaut Pinot, Michael Storer, and Arkéa riders Nicolas Edet and Lukasz Owsian being present as well, putting the pressure on Lotto Soudal.

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The peloton was at all times close with Lotto Soudal putting in most of the work. In the Col de Saint Roch Guillaume Martin went on the attack, and shortly after Nairo Quintana did the same with no response from Wellens, using his teammate Edet who was in the break to bridge across to Martin and work together towards the summit of the climb that came with 32 kilometers to go.

As Thibaut Pinot went solo off the front, Quintana and Martin caught up with Michael Storer and Alexis Vuillermoz into the descent, where the Colombian went clear, catching and dropping Pinot in the process.

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Tim Wellens bridged up to the group in front with everyone except Quintana who expanded his gap. Eventually, Nairo Quintana flew to a dominant win taking 1:30 minutes over Tim Wellens and netting the overall win. Guillaume Martin attacked Wellens on the final hilltops and carved a little bit of a gap to finish second, with Thibaut Pinot finishing third in the Wellens group.

After the Tour de la Provence, this is Quintana's second overall win of the season as he looks to keep his form until March where he is set to target Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya.