According to Colombian media, Nairo Quintana (32) will stop cycling. Quintana left Arkéa Samsic at the end of the season after traces of the banned painkiller tramadol were found in his blood. A new team is not coming up, so Quintana, winner of the Giro (2014) and the Vuelta (2016), would give up the bike after 14 years of professional career.
Last summer, the newcomer extended his contract with Arkéa Samsic until the end of 2025. But immediately afterwards came the news that he was excluded from the final result of the Tour de France 2022 by the World Cycling Union (UCI) because of traces of radicals the painkiller banned by the UCI Tramadol in his blood.
Quintana maintained his innocence and went to the International Sports Tribunal (TAS). However, Arkéa Samsic threw the contract extension in the trash: Quintana had to look for a new team. Intermarché-Circus-Wanty and especially EF Education-EasyPost were mentioned, but interest was never really concrete. According to Colombian media, Quintana is ending the search and retiring from professional cycling. He can officially announce his decision at a press conference this week.
Quintana previously rode for Boyacá es Para Vivirla, Colombia es Pasión and Movistar. He won the Tour of Italy (2014), the Tour of Spain (2016) and was twice runner-up in the Tour de France (2013 and 2015).
Source : HLN
