Nairo Quintana: “We are preparing to reach that yellow dream”
Nairo Quintana finished yesterday 4th in the Colombian national championship road race, which was won by Edwin Avila, rider for the continental team Illuminate. Before the race, Quintana spoke about his preparations for his biggest objective of the year, the Tour de France.
“We have strengthened the team, we have more experience, I have three-time podium finishes to my name in Grand Tours. In addition, I finished fourth in the Vuelta a España, and I agree with my team manager [Eusebio Unzue] that we’re ready to win the Tour. If luck is with us, we will be contesting the yellow jersey again and we’ll eager to win, ” he said yesterday at the press conference
“The Tour undoubtedly has top priority. We are preparing to get to one hundred percent and reach that yellow dream. If we go well, it will make a good Olympic and good Vuelta Spain,” he said. “I dreamed of getting the opportunity to do great things. When I was 20 years old I told my team mates ‘I want to get to the Tour and win stages’. Some laughed me in the face. I didn’t care because it was my dream and now we’re getting ready to fulfil it.”.
The Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August will be the second focal point of the season for Quintana. The Movistar climbing specialist will undoubtedly be the team captain of the Colombian national team and he gave his opinion about the selection. “Normally, a team selects riders who are fit and might be potential winners, but I think we have to make a choice and opt for riders who can help and are prepared to do. In the past we’ve selected riders who would like to win but none who would like to help,” Quintana said.
Quintana will be back in Europe for the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (21-27 March) and after that he will ride in Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, Liège – Bastogne – Liège and Tour of Romandie before Le Tour.
