Nairo Quintana is currently in Guatemala for the Granfondo Guate Paredon and whilst in the small central American nation, he has talked about the need for investment in cycling in the region and how the sport can be used to counteract social issues that are very present in the reality of the region.
Quintana, a former winner of the Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España and many other races in his long and successful career, is now in a phase where he shares his vast experience with many and seeks to stimulate the growth of the sport in the Americas where there are still barriers to overcome.
"In this new stage it's my turn to start sharing experience with young people, like every cycle of life, maturity comes and you have to reinvent yourself," Quintana said in word to Agencia EFE whilst present in the event that has brough him over.
About Guatemala, he had nice words: "It is a country that we like very much, we decided to come to know, to ride and motivate cyclists so that this grows". And he added his point of view for cycling to continue progressing in that part of the world: "Investment is necessary to change the lifestyle of young people, get them out of delinquency, form good citizens and surely we will have cases where they become champions".
He also reviewed his 2024 campaign and confessed how he faces the next one: "We had a good season, with ups and downs and then with climbs we were able to finish well with a good last stop in Italy and looking forward to start the season in Spain in February. The goal for 2025 is to do the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España to open doors as a team". Although reports had varied, sources have told CiclismoAlDia that the Giro-Vuelta double was already in mind, not the Tour de France for the upcoming season.
Finally, he revealed the mentality that a champion has, specially as he had a first half of the season full of illnesses and injuries. : "When you are a winner and a top racer you always have to focus on jumping the hurdles, you have to focus on winning the race, there is no step back, rehabilitate quickly and be ready to compete," he concluded.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- 🐐❤️Lozza09-11-2026
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- Tis beyond your comprehension fine sir so best not to look on with blind eyes to THE GOATS greatness.
Brucegel09-11-2026 - McNulty winning was beneficial in ensuring the rainbow jersey would not remain winless
Front24209-11-2026 - Eccelente! That's 7 riders in total in Red Bull who come from the devo team, 8 if you include Lipo
Rafionain-Glas09-11-2026 - again, nothing is going to be resolved. it is a discussion board. I simply said I didn't see how MS impeded LBs sprint. the UCI doesn't care about my thoughts, and I am really not that emotionally invested in it.mij09-11-2026
- provoke change, lol. this is a discussion board. nothing is going to change by what I say here. just commenting that it didn't look like MS impeded Brand. beyond that not trying to go too deep.mij09-11-2026
- as excellent as maga rednecks chloe dygert (and quinn simmons)?Ketterechts09-11-2026
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