Nairo Quintana to retire from cycling: Froome duels remain etched in the memory

Speaking in Barcelona, Quintana addressed his decision with emotion. “This is an important moment for me, for my family, for my country, for my people, for everyone who has stood by my side,” the Colombian said, in comments gathered by AS. “Today I am here to tell you that this will be my final season as a professional cyclist.”

Quintana has not yet revealed exactly which race will be the last of his career. “This is not my last race, so every race I ride will be a celebration. I am doing it this way because I want to enjoy these beautiful moments with the fans.” Those fans have always embraced Quintana, who was one of the defining names of Colombia’s golden cycling generation.

Quintana turned professional in 2011 with Café de Colombia-Colombia es Pasión, but made his WorldTour debut with Movistar a year later. He made an immediate impact there, and in 2013 he won a stage of the Tour de France, claimed the young rider classification and finished second overall in Paris behind Chris Froome. He would go on to become one of the Briton’s most memorable Grand Tour rivals.

Two years later, the balance of power was similar, although Quintana came much closer. He never managed to beat Froome in the Tour, but he did defeat him at the 2016 Vuelta a España. It was his second Grand Tour triumph, having already won the 2014 Giro d’Italia by beating fellow Colombian Rigoberto Urán.

Looking ahead to life after racing, Quintana said: “This will be a new beginning, one I want to keep building on. Setting up companies, supporting competitive and creative sports. Giving something back to the people. I want more children to dream the way I dreamed.”