Nairo Quintana soars to victory at Tour du Var with solo attack

For the second time already this season Nairo Quintana has won a final mountain stage to claim the overall victory of a stage race.

The Colombian has followed up his win at the Tour de la Provence a week ago with victory at the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var, attacking on the final climb of the race to seal the title. 

Quintana had jumped on a move initiated by Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) before going solo, managing his effort to cross the line more than a minute ahead of second and third place Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and Pinot.

Tim Wellens, who had been in the leader's jersey, tied on time with Quintana before the final stage, finished in the Pinot group, hanging on for second overall with Martin third.

Meanwhile, Brit James Shaw secured a top 10 overall finish in his first race back at WorldTour level with EF Education EasyPost, 3-56 in arrears to Quintana. 

The rest of the top 10 was filled by the likes of Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), Bauke Mollema, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (both Trek-Segafredo) and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies).

Quintana's two stage race wins this year reflect his early 2020 season, when he also won both races, before taking a stage of Paris-Nice prior to the coronavirus lockdown.

Results

Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 2022, stage three: Villefranche-sur-Mer to Blausasc

1. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa-Samsic, in 2-55-17
2. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis, at 1-21
3. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 1-30
4. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) TotalEnergies
5. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, both at same time
6. Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ, at 1-37
7. Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Ag2r Citroën, at 2-25
8. Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Fra) Ag2r Citroën, at same time
9. Rémy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
10. Romain Combaud (Fra) DSM, both at same time

Final general classification

1. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa-Samsic, in 10-56-01
2. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, at 1-30
3. Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis, at 1-48
4. Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 2-50
5. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo, at 2-52
6. Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Trek-Segafredo, at 2-55
7. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) TotalEnergies, at 2-57
8. Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto-Soudal, at 3-52
9. James Shaw (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost, at 3-56
10. Kevin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ, at 3-58