Nairo Quintana will start his second spell at Movistar on home roads at the 2024 Tour Colombia, which takes place from February 6-11. The race features three stages in Quintana’s native department of Boyacá.
Quintana rejoined Movistar this winter after being left without a team for last season in the aftermath of his positive tests for Tramadol on the 2022 Tour de France. The Colombian previously spent eight seasons with Movistar before leaving for Arkéa-Samsic ahead of the 2020 campaign.
Movistar had previously indicated that Quintana would start his 2024 season at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, but in an interview on Movistar’s YouTube channel, the 33-year-old confirmed his participation at the Tour Colombia.
“I’m riding well, but we’ll have to go little by little into the season,” Quintana said.
“We’re starting with the Tour Colombia, which will be a great indicator. It’s very early, but it will tell us something about where we are and where we’ll look to improve, both for team and personal goals.”
The six-day Tour Colombia returns to the calendar in 2024 after a three-year hiatus.
Quintana last rode the event in 2019, when he won the final stage on the Alto de Palmas. His lone competitive action of 2023 came at the Colombian Championships, where he placed third while racing as an independent.
Quintana won the Giro d’Italia (2014) and Vuelta a España (2016) during his first spell at Movistar, and he also placed on the podium in each of his first three appearances at the Tour de France.
Now almost eight years removed from his last podium finish in Paris, Quintana was circumspect when asked about the idea of reviving the so-called ‘sueño amarillo’ of chasing Tour victory.
"Years have passed and hope hasn’t been lost, but we must be aware and realistic too,” Quintana said. “You always have to speak with reality and without deceiving anyone.”
Enric Mas has led Movistar at the past four editions of the Tour and Vuelta, but both the Majorcan and Quintana have yet to outline which Grand Tours they will race in 2024.
“The important thing is that the motivation is there in this restart. I feel that I must take advantage of the great opportunities that I have now, and I must enjoy them too," said Quintana.
“Every day motivates me to give the maximum and the best, working in that way with the team. I think this year the team will take a step forward.”
