Quintana: We have to back Valverde now at Vuelta a Espana

They had said all along that the road would decide who would be the leader of the Movistar Team, and in the end it did. As the tarmac turned to concrete just under four kilometres from the top of the Monte Oiz on stage 17 of the Vuelta a España, Nairo Quintana quietly lost contact with the group of overall contenders. He would only slip further back as the gradients reached infernal levels and, with that, the debate which had been simmering since the start of the Vuelta, evaporated into the mist that shrouded the Basque mountain.

Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.