Nairo Quintana announces this Thursday to withdraw from the Vuelta, on the eve of departure. He had learned on Wednesday of his downgrading from the last Tour de France by the UCI after two positive tests for Tramadol, a substance deemed illegal by the UCI, but not prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He had finished 6th in the Grande Boucle.
After having initially confirmed his intention to run the Vuelta despite this downgrading, costly for his Arkea-Samsic team, which loses precious UCI points in its fight to access the World Tour next season, Nairo Quintana says in a story on his Instagram account “not having the head for the competition”. The Colombian rider “prefers to return home to prepare his defense” before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Arkéa-Samsic team has not yet reacted to this competitor’s decision, nor has it communicated the name of its possible replacement for the Tour of Spain.
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Nairo Quintana last Tuesday extended his contract with Arkéa-Samsic until 2025.