Rumors have swirled of Quintana's 2017 objectives since late last year, and El Tiempo quoted the Movistar rider outlining his plans for the Giro-Tour double in December. Movistar manager Eusebio Unzué, however, quickly tempered those statements, insisting that Quintana's calendar was not yet settled.
The 26-year-old Colombian has now reiterated his plan in no uncertain terms, telling television reporters, "The final decision that we are making is to do the Giro and the Tour de France."
Quintana, winner of 2016 Vuelta a España, claimed the overall title at the Giro d'Italia in 2014 in his first and only career appearance in the race. He has never won the Tour de France, though he has finished on the podium three times. His stated plan of riding the year's first two Grand Tours would seem to cast doubt on an attempt at defending his red jersey in Spain.
Quintana also provided details of his early-season calendar in the interview, confirming that he'll follow up a planned visit to the Mallorca Challenge with starts at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, the Abu Dhabi Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico.
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