Nibali plays down Quintana comments ahead of Tour de France

In the rarefied atmosphere inhabited by defending Tour de France champions, the effect of any stray words so often seems to be amplified. When Astana's Vincenzo Nibali rhetorically enquired of Nairo Quintana’s whereabouts during an exchange with journalists last month, he hardly anticipated that his words would become headline news 48 hours before the Grand Départ. Such is the hyper-reality of life after the maillot jaune.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.