Nairo Quintana returns to Movistar

During the last stage of Andorra in La Vuelta 2023, Nairo Quintana could be seen talking with Eusebio Unzue and since then the rumours have been growing until the confirmation that the Colombian will race with the Movista team in 2024 and in principle he will do so for one season. The deal will be made official on Sunday.

Nairo Quinta signs for Movistar

The newspaper El País confirmed a few hours ago the signing of Nairo Quintana by Movistar Team for the 2024 season. This announcement puts an end to one of the biggest pending issues in the transfer market for more than a year.

Nairo Quintana, winner of the Giro d'Italia and three-time podium finisher in the Tour de France, had not competed for a year after he was disqualified from the Tour de France 2022 for taking Tramadol and his team, Arkea, terminated his contract outright. Since then he suffered what seemed to be a veiled pact by all the professional teams that none of them wanted him in their ranks.

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Nairo Quintana spent eight seasons, between 2012 and 2019, at Movistar, achieving some of his best years for both parties. And it seems that this new contract comes as gratitude to the Colombian for his past work with the team.

We recall that Nairo's disqualification from the Tour 2022 for Tramadol did not lead to any suspension by the UCI and that until then it was the only organisation that banned the consumption of this opioid analgesic after linking it to an increase in crashes in races. In 2024 Tramadol will also be listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a doping substance.