The future of Nairo Quintana is the great uncertainty for the 2023 cycle market. The Boyacá climber has yet to be confirmed by any team for next season despite the fact that a couple of weeks ago he mentioned that he was preparing for the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España with a World Tour team.
Time is running out and the international cycling press speculates about the Colombian. Now he was recognized Spanish journalist Raúl Banqueri who slipped into an extensive article some possibilities for him and other renowned free riders such as Mark Cavendish.
“Taking into account the limit of 30 cyclists per team, there are already seven full WorldTeams: DSM, BikeExchange, Movistar, EF Education, Cofidis, Bora, Astana and Alpecin. In other words, neither of these teams could legally sign available running backs like Cavendish or Quintana. in your current situation. The only option they would have would be to terminate the contract of some minor broker to make room for another. In 2022, Israel did this with Guy Sagiv to sign Dylan Teuns in the middle of the season,” he noted in his letter to ‘Lanternerouge’ from Australia.
Explain that there are teams that still have three places available such as, Lotto Soudal, Israel Premier Tech and Bahrain Victorius where a Quintana-style leader could end up. In addition to other options to be gregarious in luxury such as Ineos, Jumbo, Quick Step or Emirates. AG2R, Intermarché and Groupama also appear with two free places to register runnersbut these squads had already ruled out the Colombian before the press.
As they discuss the future of Mark Cavendish after the collapse of the B&B Hotels team, he notes: “The other riders without a contract include, of course, Nairo Quintana, but also Domenico Pozzovivo (probably continue with Intermarché), or the winner of the last stage of the Vuelta, Juan Sebastián Molano”.
And finally the case of Nairo Quintana is broken down: “In the case of stars Cavendish and Quintana, Israel, Premier Tech could be a logical destination for both. The team needs big names to get WorldTour invites and can offer a salary commensurate with the prestige of both riders. Furthermore, the cyclists would be free to lead and would most likely participate in the Tour de France., especially after the capitulation of B&B opens up another wild card slot for the grand tour. Another option for Nairo Quintana would be to offer himself as a luxury domestique for UAE, Ineos, Jumbo or QuickStepall of them with free places and top leaders to protect”.
If he really does not yet have an agreement as presumed, the Colombian could be left adrift for the 2023 season; though, unlike soccer, it could be entered at any time of the year by a team that fires another running back.
However, the Israel Premier Tech rumor goes against what Quintana said weeks ago since it is not a World Tour team and could only ride the Tour de France by invitation. Of course, there he would be the absolute leader as he was in Arkea and he would have Chris Froome (a staunch rival of his best sporting moment) as a squire and gregarious.
Bahrain Victorius is the other team that is positioned as a possible logical destination if one takes into account that there are still three places available and that Míkel Landa (Nairo’s ‘enemy’) will run the Tour de France as the leader. So things, Quintana would go to the Giro and the Vuelta as he mentioned a few weeks ago.