He had said “I stay”.
And then finally… no.
Nairo Quintana will not complete his commitment.
On August 16, the 32-year-old runner renewed his contract with Arkéa Samsic, the French team until 2025 after finishing sixth in the Tour de France, a day before being disqualified from the race for using the painkiller prohibited Tramadol.
What Quintana denies.
"I want to announce that I will not continue with the Arkéa Samsic team for the next few seasons as we announced," he said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
“We will continue to pedal forward.
I want to continue to show the rider that I am,” he added, without giving details on his future in the peloton.
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The Colombian has an appeal pending before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and, pending this decision, therefore remains eligible for official competitions.
However, after this disqualification, he withdrew from the recent Tour of Spain, an event he had won in 2016. “I presented my defense to the CAS (…) I am optimistic because I am honest.
I didn't do anything wrong, illegal,” said Quintana, 2nd in the “Grande Boucle” in 2013 and 2015 with the Spanish team Movistar.
“We had ups and downs”
In 2020, Arkéa Samsic - which belonged to the second division of cycling teams - had surprised with the recruitment of the Colombian, who showed himself in his best light this year by winning the Tour de la Provence and finishing in the top 10 of the Tour de France.
“I want to thank the team for these three years (…) we had ups and downs but I was able to give all my experience,” said Quintana.
Arkéa Samsic in World Tour anyway?
The team should be promoted in 2023 within the World Tour, the highest category of road cycling, thanks to its good performances during the last three seasons.
"I had the opportunity to get the points to bring the team to the World Tour as I said when I was hired," said the winner of the Giro 2014. His departure should lead to those of his compatriots Miguel Florez and Winner Anacona, as well as that of his younger brother Dayer Quintana.
