Nairo Quintana admits that he and his Movistar team made mistakes in their attempts to win the 2015 Tour de France, where he lost out to Chris Froome by 1-12.
Despite his best efforts in the Alps, Quintana could not claw back enough time to catch Froome, with stage two of the race - where the Colombian lost 1-24 in the crosswinds - proving decisive.
But having now finished second twice at the Tour - the first time in 2013 - the Movistar rider insists he's not obsessed with winning the race, believing that his time will come.
"The Tour is not an obsession for me. If I do my job well hope to get in top condition, and, once there, do not have bad luck, the result will come," he said at the Tour de San Luis, quoted in AS.
Watch Nairo Quintana attack Chris Froome up Alpe d'Huez
Speaking of his first Tour [in 2013]. "I raced to second, something that was not scheduled," he said.
"I suffered a lot and was not aware of what had been achieved. The second time I prepared properly, I did a thorough job, and it was different."
In order to win a Tour de France in the coming years, it's likely Quintana will have to beat Froome to the yellow jersey.
Much is made of the rivalry between the pair, but 25-year-old Quintana says he has nothing but respect for the Team Sky rider.
"Froome is not an enemy, he is a rival," he said. "On the bike there is a rivalry and that is normal, but we have never discussed it nor had any problem, even once we have understood the race. We say hello, but we do not talk much," he said.
