Bruz (France) (AFP)
The Colombian Nairo Quintana has begun pedaling with his new team, the Breton Arkéa-Samsic, and clearly shows his ambitions: "win all races that arise", starting with Paris-Nice and the Tour de France.
At 29, Quintana is one of the best climbers in the world, with a significant track record. On Saturday, at the beginning of Emmanuel Hubert's training camp, he first went out on a bike, then tasted pancakes and met the media. Sunday morning, he went to ride with cyclists around the golf of Cicé-Blossac, near Rennes.
"France is, at the moment, the country most involved in cycling, with a lot of teams and races, and I am happy to be part of this cycle. most successful of my career, "Quintana told AFP, calmly, smiling.
The Colombian has often finished on the podium of the Tour de France but has never won. This summer, he saw Egan Bernal, his young compatriot, and he was delighted: "I had been trying to win for several years, and I, the first, had won one of the few races that were Colombian cycling history and people are happy. "
Even in a team that is not (yet) part of the UCI World Tour, Quintana does not consider itself in pre-retirement: "The goal is to win all the races that occur, especially in France, to achieve our dreams, to be proud of our team ". By collecting a maximum of invitations for Tours and classics if possible.
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The two big objectives of Quintana in 2020 are now known, not surprisingly: Paris-Nice, "a race that has always pleased me" and where he finished second in the spring, behind a certain ... Bernal, then the Tour de France, where he won this summer, alone, the most rugged alpine stage, in Valloire, through Izoard and Galibier.
The course 2020 with departure to Nice, very close to his Monegasque apartment, "should be favorable to me, with this against-the-clock which will not be flat, on a course that has already been made," says Quintana about of the 20th and penultimate stage, between Lure and the Planche des Belles Daughters.
To reach his goals, the Colombian will be able to count on the team, level World Tour, in which the sprinter Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) has joined, after a season, the champion of France, Warren Barguil.
"I know Warren and I know we're not problem guys, we've never been in the same team, but I think we're going to be very good friends." Nairo does not arrive alone because Arkéa-Samsic also hired his brother Denayer and his best friend, Winner Anacona, who was with him at Movistar: "I need to feel like a family".
"Winner", it sounds like a good omen while this season 2020 has another goal. Just after the Tour, very far from France: "I would very much like to be selected for the Tokyo Games because I have already missed two Olympiads". The year of his 30 years, an Olympic medal in Japan, it would look ...
© 2019 AFP