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Quintana will not race again before Tour de France

By Cycling News

published 30 May 2013

Two-month training block in Colombia for Movistar rider

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Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Team Movistar) sets the pace(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) climbs to a fourth place finish on the Trapagaran ascent.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) will not race again before the Tour de France, meaning that the Colombian will have spent over two months away from competitive action ahead of his debut in La Grande Boucle.

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Quintana’s last race was Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 21 and he has not been selected for Movistar’s teams for either the Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse. According to Biciciclismo, Quintana has been training at altitude in La Concepción, Colombia since late April and will remain there until the week before the Tour, which gets underway on June 29.

The 23-year-old Quintana enjoyed a fine spring campaign, winning the Tour of the Basque Country and a stage of the Volta a Catalunya. He will ride the Tour primarily in support of Alejandro Valverde, with whom he reconnoitred stages 8 and 9 in March after the Volta a Catalunya.

Movistar have also announced their teams for the Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. Alejandro Valverde will lead the line in France next week, flanked by Jonathan Castroviejo and Sylwester Szmyd. Meanwhile, 2012 Tour de Suisse winner Rui Costa returns to defend his crown and his teammates include Vladimir Karpets and double Giro d’Italia stage winner Giovanni Visconti.

Movistar team for Critérium du Dauphiné (June 2-9): Alejandro Valverde, Jonathan Castroviejo, Eros Capecchi, Imanol Erviti, José Herrada, Ángel Madrazo, Eloy Teruel and Sylwester Szmyd.

Movistar team for Tour de Suisse (June 8-16): Rui Costa, Vladimir Karpets, Giovanni Visconti, Andrey Amador, José Joaquín Rojas, Iván Gutiérrez, Jesús Herrada and Enrique Sanz.