Nairo Quintana is recovering from an injury he suffered to the anterior sterno-clavicular ligament in his right arm after a fall in the Return to Catalonia that prevented him from finishing it. However, this physical discomfort will not be a problem for the Colombian facing the Italy spinthe first grand tour of the year for which he has already confirmed his presence.
It will be the first great challenge for the boyacense after a 2023 in which his activity was minimal as he did not have a team, as a result of the controversial discovery of tramadol in your body during Tour de France 2022, competition in which he ended up disqualified. This situation brought with it countless controversies, including criticism from cyclists in the peloton against Nairo.
One of them was Geraint Thomas, British cyclist Ineos Grenadiers, winner of the 2018 Tour de France, the one who launched strong words against Quintana. He did it on his podcast with Luke Rowe at the end of March, in which they highlighted his talent, but questioned his participation in the World Tour since: “I shouldn’t be running, you damn rat,” he commented with his partner amidst laughter.
Response from Nairo Quintana
In the middle of an event in which he presented the Gran Fondo Nairo Quintana in Quindío, and also confirmed his participation in the Giro d’Italia, the 34-year-old rider was asked about those criticisms from men in the peloton like Thomas. However, the winner of the Giro (2014) and the Vuelta España (2016), He responded with height and claimed not to pay attention to those words.
“We know that some like us and others don’t like us. That we have done very beautiful things for our country and that is what should fill our hearts. Continue forward like the deaf frog that leaves a moral, go looking for the goals we want and with a chest full of pride knowing what we are and where we are from and that is what fills me with joy,” was his response.
During the Tour of Catalonia, Nairo also had a run-in with Wout Poels, who revealed the insult he said to him, stating that he asked him if he was still taking Tramadol. “I wasn’t close enough to push him, but he nudged me and I argued with him. I told him that he was taking Tramadol again and that was why he was behaving so aggressively.. I think she understood me. Then I thought maybe she shouldn’t have said that. But he himself was stupid enough to use it in the Tour de France,” he said.
The Giro d’Italia It will start on May 4 and end on the 26th of the same month. Nairo knows that he is not at his best level, so he is aware of the secondary role that he will have in this race, being another gregarious member of the leader, who is not yet known.
