Nairo Quintana will join his Arkéa-Samsic teammates at the Tour de la Provence to start the 2022 season in the same race that kicked off a highly-successful early 2020 campaign before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The Colombian revealed he has recovered from an infection of the virus last month, and is fit and ready to race.
Quintana dominated the race in 2020 in his debut with the French team, using the slopes of the Mont Ventoux to open an unassailable lead in the stage to Chalet Reynard.
The Ventoux won't feature in this year's edition, but in its place is a final stage to the Montagne de Lure - a 17.7km ascent averaging 5.7 per cent. It's not the Giant of Provence but has some sections of 10 per cent grades that could suit a pure climber like Quintana.
"I am motivated by the idea of coming back to this competition and being able to play a big role again," Quintana said in a team press release. "My physical condition is good, I started training again after contracting the Covid a few weeks ago, and little by little I've been putting in more work.
"If the opportunity arises to play a big role in this race, as I said, I will do everything to seize it. I don't know the Montagne de Lure very well, but some of my teammates have already spoken to me about it, they have described the characteristics of this climb. I hope that I will be in good physical condition for this competition and that I will be able to fight with the best riders, and thus achieve a good overall classification."
Arkéa-Samsic started the season with a victory in the GP la Marseillaise by Amaury Capiot, and Sports Director Yvon Ledanois is hoping for more success on home soil.
"Obviously, the Tour de la Provence evokes beautiful recent memories for the Arkéa-Samsic team with two of our leaders. This race, as in 2020, will kick off Nairo Quintana's season, but with a different route than in previous editions, and the finish at the top of the Montagne de Lure which is different from the Mont Ventoux up to the Chalet Reynard.
"We are going to this Tour de la Provence with ambitions and like every time we compete with the desire to do well and performs."
The Tour de la Provence begins on Thursday with a prologue time trial, followed by a sprint stage, a hilly third stage and the finale on the Montagne de Lure.
