Giro – Quintana – It’s one of the happiest days in my life

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History making event – Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar) says winning the Giro d’Italia was “one of the happiest days in my life”

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Giro – Quintana – It’s one of the happiest days in my life

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Photos: PelotonPhotos.com

The dream Movistar wished to make real is now true in Trieste. Nairo Quintana and his team-mates have won the 2014 Giro d’Italia, making Quintana the first-ever rider from Latin America to win the Giro d’Italia.

After three weeks of gruelling racing, Quintana – also winner of the white jersey of the Young Riders’ competition, plus two stages – clinched the goal for the whole team, with invaluable help by teammates Andrey Amador, Igor Antón, Jonathan Castroviejo, Eros Capecchi, José Herrada, Gorka Izagirre, Adriano Malori and Fran Ventoso, as well as sports directors Arrieta and Jaimerena.

Today’s success – Nairo’s 20th as pro cyclist and Movistar’s 99th as sponsor – increases to thirteen the Grand Tour victory tally for the squad – leading the standings of active WorldTour squads, with 7 Tours, 3 Giros and 3 Vueltas, and pushed Quintana into the lead of the WorldTour standings.

Luka Mezgec wins the final stage of the Giro d’Italia
The final stage as expected came down to a bunch finish and Luka Mezgec kept his nerve in the closing kilometres before powering through next to the barriers in the final 150m to take a well deserved first Grand Tour victory.

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Photos: PelotonPhotos.com

The final stage of this three week tour took the riders 172km from Gemona del Friuli to Trieste where the final finishing gantry of the race awaited the peloton. The final day is usally a mix of a procession followed by a fast finish and today we just as expected with a steady pace being set for most of the day before the first attacks came in the final 50km.

The stage featured seven finishing laps around Trieste giving the riders plenty of opportunity to see the finish before the final time. The circuit included one short dificulty, a 5% ramp just four kilometres from the finish line. The race was all together heading into the final seven kilometre lap and the pace was cranked up heading into the last time up the hill.

Mezgec’s team, Giant-Shimano, were still not at the front of the peloton on the run up to the hill but they stayed calm and brought Luka through when they needed to, with Simon Geschke and Bert De Backer present at the front with him in the final few kilometres. “I was under a bit of pressure today as there was so much Slovenian support here but that makes the win feel even better,” said Luka after the finish.

“I was really hoping to get a big result here today and have been focused on this stage all week, so it can’t get any better than this. The circuit was tough but the roads were big and we knew that we had to stay in front on the climb. This worked well and I was still fresh for the sprint at the end.”

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Photos: PelotonPhotos.com

Nairo Quintana talks about his history making three weeks
“It’s one of the happiest days in my life” he says. “I always dreamt of winning a Grand Tour and now it’s become real. Thanks to my team, my family and all the people that supports me, this is now achieved. I wasn’t expecting at all to see so many Colombians in Trieste today”.

“It was amazing to see so many flags around the circuit and podium. I’m super proud of my country. I’ve probably been stronger than the rest, and we sort of saw it on Friday. Yet, I still suffered, like all the others. I’m a human being, a normal one, just like any other person, and my legs did really hurt yesterday, but I defended myself well”.

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The staff at Endura who clothe Quintana’s Movistar team with kit made in Scotland send their congratulations.

“It’s true that I wasn’t in my best possible condition throughout the race and still struggle with mucus. These long mountain stages also had an impact. I looked like calm, but I could feel pain inside”.

“I’m a good climber and things went well in the Giro if you take into account my real health status, but there are other riders who also ride fast and have more experience than me. We must keep working and digging every day to equal or even beat them. My biggest moment during the Giro was the Stelvio, where I wasn’t able to put my rain jacket on for the descent. I was about to get off the bike to put on it, but then, Gorka was my best support; he forced me to continue with no rain jacket to ride on. It was snowing really hard, all my clothes were wet, but he supported me all the way in that difficult moment, gave me some food and we went on. He gave me motivation to win such a difficult stage, so hard, yet so beautiful at the end, finishing with a smile”.

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Photos: PelotonPhotos.com

“This generation of Colombian riders like me – we’re showing the world. Since some of us came to Europe in 2012, we can win stages, important races, we show our quality – yet today’s win is a huge reality, another big success. Last year I was second in the Tour de France, something that no other Colombian had achieved prior – plus, Rigoberto was also second in the Giro. It might be coincidence, a choice of nature, but we’re strong. I think there are some other Colombian lads, younger than us, who are also strong and will show their quality in the future, in European teams and races”.

“When I came into the pro scene, I was lucky enough to sign for the right team. I got to know a great professor and a person who knows loads about cycling, who transmits his knowledge well and had so many different champions into his teams: Eusebio Unzué. I always listen to him, we speak, he teaches me, he keeps me calm, and when you have good legs, it all becomes much easier”.

“Life itself pushed me forward, and it keeps doing so – I don’t realize, but I got to this sort of success really early in my life, yet with all those ones surrounding me, I grew up a lot, I learned a lot of things, took massive leaps forward and there’s no comparison from what I was four years ago to what I am now”.

“I feel like a complete man now, one able to do many more things in cycling, to offer the fans some spectacle and make them enjoy for many years. There’s much of Nairo Quintana still to give.”

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Photos: PelotonPhotos.com

Final Stage
1 Mezgec Luka, Team Giant-Shimano 4:23:58
2 Nizzolo Giacomo, Trek Factory Racing
3 Farrar Tyler, Garmin Sharp
4 Bouhanni Nacer, FDJ.fr
5 Ferrari Roberto, Lampre-Merida
6 Duque Leonardo, Team Colombia
7 Paolini Luca, Team Katusha
8 Van der Sande Tosh, Lotto Belisol
9 Bozic Borut, Astana
10 Keisse Iljo, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step

16 Swift Ben, Team Sky

FINAL OVERALL
1. Quintana Nairo, Movistar Team 88:14:32
2. Uran Rigoberto, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step @ 02:58
3. Aru Fabio, Astana Pro Team @ 4:04
4. Rolland Pierre, Team Europcar@ 5:46
5. Pozzovivo Domenico, AG2R La Mondiale@ 6:32
6. Majka Rafal, Tinkoff-Saxo@ 7:04
7. Kelderman Wilco, Belkin-Pro Cycling Team@ 11:00
8. Evans Cadel, BMC Racing Team @ 11:51
9. Hesjedal Ryder, Garmin Sharp@ 13:35
10. Kiserlovski Robert, Trek Factory Racing @ 15:49

15. Basso Ivan, Cannondale @ 32:08
18. Rogers Michael, Tinkoff-Saxo@ 48:06
21. Poels Wout, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step @ 55:59
24. Sánchez Samuel, BMC Racing Team @ 1:02:40
30. Roche Nicolas, Tinkoff-Saxo @ 1:13:07
65. de Gendt Thomas, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step @ 2:28:15
113. Swift Ben, Team Sky @ 3:46:11

 

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