Former Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España winner Nairo Quintana has been confirmed with his current team, Movistar, for another year.
The Colombian climbing star had been widely expected to remain with the Spanish WorldTour squad for another year. But for unknown reasons, the definitive green light failed to appear until barely six weeks before the 2025 season begins.
Set to turn 35 next February, Quintana returned to Movistar at the start of 2024. Previously, a positive test for the painkiller Tramadol saw him disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France and sparked his exit from his team of the time, Arkéa-Samsic.
Although Quintana did not serve a suspension as his offence was covered by UCI's medical rules rather than being classed as an anti-doping violation, he was left with no chance but to take a hiatus season in 2023 without any racing.
Quintana rode mainly in support of the Movistar team leaders this season, although multiple crashes and illness plagued the Colombian's chances of a consistent year.
That did not stop him from a notable near-miss after a long break in the toughest mountain stage of the Giro d'Italia, only being overhauled almost within sight of the finish at Livigno by overall winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).
A winner of the Giro d'Italia in 2014 and Vuelta a España in 2016 with Movistar, in his heyday Quintana's immense climbing talents also saw him take multiple podium finishes in the Tour de France. Since his return to the Spanish team in 2024 and now well into his thirties, Quintana's main role has been as a top mountain domestique.
"2024 has been a nice year," Quintana stated in a team press release announcing his contract renewal.
"Personally I had some setbacks starting with COVID, then a ruptured sternum and a fractured hand. These challenges, together with some more crashes, meant that I could not be at 100% in important moments in the season. But I could still fight back and recover well to help the team."
"I'm renewing in 2025 to try and obtain greater continuity, fight hard in each race and bring Enric Mas to the highest possible placing in three-week races."
"During the 2025 season, we'll also aim to gain as many [UCI] points as possible, as this is the last year in this particular round of [WorldTour] classification."
