Nairo Quintana has revealed that he will take on two Grand Tours in 2025, with the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España both among his goals for the new season.
The Colombian is preparing for his second season back at Movistar, the 10th of his career with the Spanish squad. He turns 35 in February but still has high hopes for the future, with a free role at the Giro in May on the menu along with a support role for Enric Mas at the Vuelta.
He took on both races in 2024 after a year away from top-level racing in 2023. A second place on stage 15 of the Giro, at Livigno, was the highlight of his year just gone, though he told Spanish paper AS that he has "good sensations" and "great numbers" ahead of the new campaign.
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"We have been in Valencia adding two very good weeks of training, and I have seen that the young people of the team are quite strong," Quintana said. As for me, the sensations have been good, with great numbers and a desire to continue enjoying the competition."
Quintana announced that he'll race largely in Spain before heading to the Giro in May, with March's Tirreno-Adriatico his single race outside of Iberia in the opening months of the season.
"I will start with the Challenge de Mallorca. I will also do the Clásica Almería, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Volta a Catalunya. I will try to prepare for the Giro d'Italia in the best possible way because it is one of my objectives," Quintana said.
"My schedule is a bit similar to last season. The idea is also to be at the Vuelta a España to help Enric get him to the podium or higher," he added before going on to outline the reason he's continuing his career into his late 30s.
"Enjoying on the bike every day that I am on it. Happiness. I love winning races. I love being with the best. And that makes me happy. That is why I am here and that is what I want to do this season."
Following the departure of Classics revelation Oier Lazkano and versatile finisher Alex Aranburu over the winter, Movistar's 2025 hopes rest in large part on Mas scoring good results in stage races.
However, the team has added one rising star in the shape of Pablo Castrillo, the 23-year-old double Vuelta stage winner, who arrives from Kern Pharma. Along with the likes of Giro stage winner Pelayo Sánchez and U23 world time trial champion Iván Romeo, Castrillo's signing shows that the team are building a solid young core.
Quintana said that the team, and the press, should give Castrillo time and freedom as he makes the step up to the WorldTour, and with it, a likely 2025 Tour de France start.
"We have signings that give strength to the team and with the arrival of Pablo I ask for calm, that we do not smother him. He himself will take the appropriate steps and we will surely see him giving some surprises in the Tour," Quintana said.
"We have seen that Iván Romeo has taken that step in the time trial with his and it gives him confidence to fight with the best and the consolidation of Pelayo and Castrillo. The intention is for young people to take steps forward and for us to try to guide them and give them our experience.
"We have already seen in the last Vuelta what Castrillo is capable of doing, and in the Tour de France, we have to take him with freedom and let him continue to enjoy himself. We have to divide the team to be as strong as possible on the different fronts because we will have many rivals at all times."
Quintana also praised his countryman Diego Pescador. The 20-year-old, who finished seventh at this year's Tour de l'Avenir, is another new young addition to the Movistar squad, is another new young face on the Spanish squad.
"He has chosen to come to Movistar and I think he will have great opportunities to start growing in different races that are suitable for him," Quintana said. "He has that ability. I am sure he is one of the Colombians who will continue to carry on that legacy of Latin American cyclists."
