Tour de France: Quintana ready to go with Froome in the Pyrenees
'I've trained speꦯ꧃cifically to respond to his attacks'
Nairo Quintana (Movistar) has insisted he has learnt his lesson from last year's 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France, saying that this time around he will be ready for attacks from Chris Froome on the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:first day in the Pyrenees on Friday.
Last year, Froome surprised all his r🌊ivals with a fiercꦺe but well-planned attack on the slopes of La Pierre Saint Martin. Quintana was the best of the rest, but Movistar has tagged this year's Tour de France as Quintana's #sueñoamarillo – his yellow dream –and he is convinced it could be his year. If he wins the Tour de France, Quintana will become the first ever Colombian winner.
Starting from the Col d'Aspin during today's openinꦅg stage in the Pyrenees, we can expect Quintana to sit tight on Froome's back wheel and be ready for t💦he Briton's trademark high-cadence accelerations.
"When he goes, it's hard to stay with him but I've trained specifically to respond to his attacks and not lose ground," Quintana told .
"In the past, on Mont Ventoux, and La Pierre Saint Martin, I was the rider who lost least time to Chris but that's not enough anymore. I think I've improved as a rider and matured too. I've lea🤪rnt how to manage my strength and understand the moment when I've got to be 🎀100% ready, while also being relaxed and confident."
Quintana has gradually built his form during the 2016 season to be ready and at his very best during the Tour de France. He won tꦺhe Vuelta a Catalunya on his European debut in March, won the Tour de Romandie in early May and then wo🌞rked hard at home at altitude in Colombia to prepare for the Tour.
He spent almost two months away from racing but tested his form and got the answers he was looking for during an aggressive ride that landed victory at the Route de Sud – on some of the same roads where he w♚ill now face Froome, Alberto Contador, Tejay van Garderen, Thibaut Pinot and all the other ove♎rall contenders in this year's Grand Boucle.
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Quintana is a pure climber and believes this year's mountainous Tour de France rouᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚte tips things in his favour.
"When I saw the route I was 𒀰happier than in tℱhe past. The mountains are my terrain and give me an edge, there's even climbs in the time trials," he pointed out. "I've also got the full support of the Movistar team and I've no problem handling the responsibility thanks to their help."
Stephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.