Nairo Quintana: People used to laugh at me when I said I wanted to win the Tour
The Colombian says he has prepared better than ever to battle Chris Froome for the maillot jaune this year

Nairo Quintana of team Movistar says that his Tour de France bid this July is no laughing matter.
After finishing second twice to Team Sky's Chris Froome, the Colombian's "yellow dream" is stronger than ever.
>>> Tour de France 2016: Key info, route, contenders
Quintana nearly upset Froome on the final mountain stage to Alpe d'Huez last year. He finished 1-12 minutes behind when the race pulled into Paris the next day. Some say that had he not lost the 1-28 minutes on the windswept second stage through the Netherlands then he could have won.
"I have prepared and I want to win and I want to give that joy to Colombians. So I invite you to join my yellow dream and give me a lot of strength," Quintana said in Colombia before departing to France and the Route du Sud stage race, which started on Thursday.
"Winning the Tour de France has always been my dream. When I went out cycling with my colleagues and told them that I wanted to win stages and win the Tour overall one day, they laughed at me. I told them, 'Laugh, but I'm going to go over there and at least I'll try.'"
Movistar gradually ramped up its support for Quintana. Last year, it began with two leaders and put both Quintana on the podium and Alejandro Valverde in third. This year, it is all for the diminutive cyclist from Boyacá, in the East Andes.
Quintana already placed second in his two participations and the year he skipped the Tour, in 2014, he became the first Colombian to win the Giro d'Italia.
This year, 26-year-old Quintana won two WorldTour stage races in the lead up – the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Romandie – more than his top rivals Froome and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff).
"My main rivals will be Contador and Froome. We must find a strategy and wait to see how they go in the mountains," Quintana said. "We have seen Froome attack and drop Contador in the Critérium du Dauphiné. I think that they have very similar strengths and I'll try to take advantage of their rivalry to defend myself.
"Froome's attacks [last year in the Tour] were very powerful and no one could follow. This year, he has said he has delayed his preparation a little to be at my level in the last week. Hopefully, we can put up with the attacks. I have prepared well, have made some preparations to make those changes in pace."
Unlike his main rivals, Quintana decided not to race the Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse. Like in last years, he preferred to stay at home as long as possible at 2800 metres altitude before returning to Europe to take on the five stage Route du Sud.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Former Tour de France yellow jersey wearer to ride Unbound Gravel
Unbound 200 contestants will be joined by a gravel newcomer of note this year. Former Tour de France race leader Jan Bakelants is joining in on the fray.
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
POC Ventral Tempus MIPS Review - A helmet for riding in the rain, and being seen
Bright, light and comfortable, but not cheap
By Tyler Boucher • Published
-
Will Barta's Canyon bike snaps in Giro d'Italia stage 10 crash
Movistar rider was caught up in incident in sodden day at Giro d'Italia
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Alejandro Valverde to return to racing with new Movistar gravel squad
Spanish veteran will pin on numbers in his first ever gravel race at ‘La Indomable’ in Spain on 23 April
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Women’s WorldTour calendar 'a mess' and 'a nonsense' says Movistar boss
The UCI must invest in the bottom of the pyramid to ensure the sport’s future says Sebastián Unzué
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Where next for Mark Cavendish after B & B Hotels-KTM's collapse?
We look at where the ‘Manx Missile’ could find himself next after the collapse of B & B Hotels-KTM
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Where next for Nairo Quintana? Colombian claims he'll still be at WorldTour races
Bahrain-Victorious say no, Movistar are full, Astana-Qazaqstan and AG2R-Citroën have already denied interest
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Nairo Quintana’s Tour de France tramadol disqualification upheld
CAS uphold the UCI decision to disqualify the Colombian after painkiller detected in blood tests
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated
-
Movistar quick to quash Mark Cavendish signing report
Italian press speculation over future of sprinter denied by Spanish team
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Nairo Quintana to leave Arkéa-Samsic, six weeks after signing new contract
The Colombian is currently appealing his Tour de France disqualification
By Tom Davidson • Published