Colombian cycling sensation Nairo Quintana on Tuesday won the Tirreno-Adriatico cycle race in Italy as his preparations for the prestigious Giro d’Italia gather steam.
Quintana held a comfortable 50 second lead going into the stage and a seventh place finish in the final time trial was enough for him to capture overall victory in the “Race of the Two Seas”.
“I’ve managed to secure the victory with the advantage that I had,” said the Movistar rider to the media after his victory adding that “winning again here is pride for me and for the team.”
The Colombian won the overall event by 25 seconds despite Australia’s Rohan Dennis, of the BMC team, powering to victory in the final 10 km stage against the clock.
Nairo Quintana to skip Vuelta d’España to focus on France and Italy
Quintana announced in January that he will not take part in the Vuelta d’España in 2017 in order to prioritize both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
The decision by the Boyaca-born cyclist and his Movistar team sets out a clear objective of attempting to become only the eight rider in history to win both races in the same year.
Following his Tirreno-Adriatico win, the Colombian start will now return to his native country for altitude training before taking part in the Vuelta a Asturias.
In May Quintana returns to the Giro d’Italia after a three year absence following his win there in 2014 after skipping the Tour de France that season.