Nairo Quintana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nairo Quintana

Quintana at the 2019 Paris–Nice
Personal information
Full name	Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas
Nickname	The Lion El Cóndor de los Andes Nair Force KINGtana Nairoman
Born	(1990-02-04) 4 February 1990 (age 35) Cómbita, Boyacá, Colombia
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Weight	58 kg (128 lb; 9 st 2 lb)
Team information
Current team	Movistar Team
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climber
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France Mountains classification (2013) Young rider classification (2013, 2015) 3 individual stages (2013, 2018, 2019) Giro d'Italia General classification (2014) Young rider classification (2014) 3 individual stages (2014, 2017) Vuelta a España General classification (2016) Combination classification (2016) 2 individual stages (2016, 2019) 2 TTT stages (2012, 2014) Stage races Tour of the Basque Country (2013) Volta a Catalunya (2016) Tour de Romandie (2016) Tirreno–Adriatico (2015, 2017) Vuelta a Burgos (2013, 2014) Tour de la Provence (2020, 2022) One-day races and Classics Giro dell'Emilia (2012)

Nairo Alexánder Quintana Rojas (born February 4, 1990) is a famous Colombian racing cyclist. He is known for his amazing climbing skills. He currently rides for the UCI WorldTeam Movistar Team.

People call him "Nairoman" or "El Cóndor de los Andes" (The Condor of the Andes). He is great at climbing steep hills on his bike. He can attack many times and keep up a high speed. He is also good at time trials, which are races against the clock. This makes him a strong contender in long stage races.

Nairo Quintana has won two of the biggest cycling races in the world: the 2014 Giro d'Italia and the 2016 Vuelta a España. He also finished second twice in the Tour de France (in 2013 and 2015). He has finished in the top 10 in major races twelve times, reaching the podium six times.

He is considered one of the most successful stage-racing cyclists of recent times. Many people believe he is the best road cyclist in Colombian history. His brother, Dayer Quintana, is also a professional cyclist.

Early Life and Cycling Start

Nairo Quintana was born in Cómbita, a small town in Boyacá, Colombia. His family were farmers. They worked hard to buy Nairo a used mountain bike. He used it to ride 16 kilometers to school through the Andes mountains. He also used it to travel between villages to sell fruits and vegetables.

When he was 16, he even worked as a taxi driver using his father's car. Nairo still lives in Cómbita, but he also spends time in Pamplona, Spain. His parents are Luis Quintana and Eloisa Rojas. He has four siblings: Nelly, Lady, Willington, and Dayer.

When Nairo was 15, a taxi hit him while he was riding his bike. He was in a coma for five days. Even after this accident, his father, who loved cycling, saw Nairo's talent. He spent money to buy Nairo a racing bike. He wanted to see if Nairo could become a professional cyclist.

Nairo Quintana's Professional Career

Nairo Quintana started his cycling career with the team "Boyacá es para Vivirla." In 2010, he won the Tour de l'Avenir. This race is for young riders. His win showed that he was a promising talent for Colombian cycling.

Movistar Team: 2012–2019

In 2012, Nairo moved to Europe to join the Spanish Movistar Team team. He quickly started winning races.

2012: First Wins in Europe

Nairo won the overall race at the Vuelta a Murcia. He also had a big win at the Critérium du Dauphiné. He attacked on a descent and won the stage. Later that year, he won the Route du Sud. Nairo also rode in his first Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. He helped his teammate Alejandro Valverde finish second. In October, Nairo won the Giro dell'Emilia.

2013: Tour de France Podium Debut

Quintana at the 2013 Tour of Britain

In 2013, Nairo won a stage at the Volta a Catalunya. The next month, he won a tough mountain stage at the Tour of the Basque Country. He then won the overall race in the final time trial.

At the Tour de France, Nairo showed his climbing strength. He attacked on many mountain stages. He finished second overall, which was an amazing result for a first-time Tour rider. He also won the young rider classification (best young rider) and the mountains classification (best climber). This was the best result for a Colombian or Latin American rider in the Tour de France ever. After the Tour, he won the Vuelta a Burgos.

2014: Giro d'Italia Champion

Nairo decided to focus on the Giro d'Italia in 2014. He started the year by winning the Tour de San Luis. He then finished second at Tirreno–Adriatico.

Quintana in the pink jersey at the 2014 Giro d'Italia

At the Giro, Nairo was not feeling his best at first. But he got stronger in the last week. On Stage 16, he took the leader's pink jersey. He won the stage and gained a lot of time on his rivals. He also won a mountain time trial on Stage 19. Nairo kept his lead and won the overall Giro d'Italia. He also won the white jersey for best young rider.

After the Giro, Nairo aimed for the Vuelta a España. He won the Vuelta a Burgos before the Vuelta. In the Vuelta, he crashed twice and had to leave the race because of a broken collarbone.

2015: Another Tour de France Podium

Nairo started 2015 by finishing third at the Tour de San Luis. He then won the Tirreno–Adriatico after a strong climb in a snowstorm. He also won the young rider jersey there.

Quintana wearing the white jersey at the 2015 Tour de France

At the Tour de France, Nairo lost some time early on due to strong winds. But he was strong in the mountains. He finished second overall again, behind Chris Froome. He also won the white jersey for best young rider. His team, Movistar Team, won the team classification.

Nairo then raced the Vuelta a España. He struggled with sickness early in the race. But he fought back and finished fourth overall.

2016: Vuelta a España Champion

In 2016, Nairo planned to race both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. He finished third at the Tour de San Luis. He then won the overall classification at the Volta a Catalunya. He also won the Tour de Romandie.

Nairo finished third in the Tour de France. He had allergies during the race. After the Tour, he decided to skip the Olympics to focus on the Vuelta. This plan worked! He won the Vuelta a España, beating Chris Froome. He became the second Colombian to win the Vuelta.

2017: Giro and Tour Challenge

In 2017, Nairo tried to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. In March, he won Tirreno–Adriatico for the second time.

Quintana at the 2017 Giro d'Italia

At the Giro, Nairo won Stage 9 and took the pink jersey. However, he lost time in a time trial. He fought hard and regained the pink jersey on Stage 19. But in the final time trial, he lost the lead and finished second overall.

He then rode the Tour de France, but he was not as strong. He finished 12th overall. He later said that trying to win both races was too difficult.

2018: Stage Win at the Tour

Nairo's main goal for 2018 was the Tour de France. He finished second in the Colombia Oro y Paz race. He also finished second overall at the Volta a Catalunya. He won a stage at the Tour de Suisse with a strong attack.

At the Tour de France, Nairo had some bad luck early on, losing time. But he bounced back on a short mountain stage (Stage 17). He attacked from the bottom of the final climb and won the stage. He finished 10th overall in the Tour.

He then rode the Vuelta a España. He started strong but his form dropped later in the race. He finished 8th overall.

2019: Strong Performances

In 2019, Nairo started his season in Argentina. He then won a stage at the Tour Colombia. He was pushed off his bike by a spectator but still managed to win. In March, he finished second overall at Paris-Nice, showing great form in the mountains.

He finished 8th overall at the Tour de France, winning Stage 18 with another impressive solo attack. He also finished 4th overall at the Vuelta a España, winning Stage 2 and briefly holding the leader's jersey.

Arkéa–Samsic: 2020–2022

In September 2019, Nairo moved to the Arkéa–Samsic team for the 2020 season. His brother Dayer and teammate Winner Anacona also joined him.

2020: New Team, New Wins

Nairo started 2020 with strong wins. He won the overall classification at the Tour de la Provence, winning a stage there. He also won the overall classification at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var, winning a stage and the points classification. He finished 6th overall at Paris–Nice, winning a stage.

He competed in the 2020 Tour de France, finishing 17th overall.

2021: Mountains Jersey at the Tour

In 2021, Nairo won a stage and the overall race at the Vuelta a Asturias. He rode the Tour de France again. He didn't win a stage, but he wore the polka dot jersey as the mountains classification leader for five days. He finished 28th overall.

2022: Early Season Success

Quintana at the 2022 Tour de France

Nairo started 2022 with two overall wins in French stage races: the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var and the Tour de la Provence. He also had top-five finishes at Paris–Nice and the Volta a Catalunya. He rode the Tour de France and finished second on the tough Col du Granon stage. He ended up 6th overall in the Tour.

Return to Movistar: 2023–Present

In October 2023, Nairo Quintana rejoined his former team, Movistar. In May 2024, he rode the 2024 Giro d'Italia. He finished 19th overall and won two "combativity awards" for being one of the most aggressive riders.

Career Achievements

Major Results Overview

Grand Tour Results Timeline

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	1	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	19
Tour de France	—	—	2	—	2	3	12	10	8	17	28	6	—	—
Vuelta a España	—	36	—	DNF	4	1	—	8	4	—	—	DNS	—	31

Major Stage Race Results Timeline

Major stage race general classification results
Race	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Paris–Nice	—	—	15	—	—	—	—	—	2	6	—	5	—	—
Tirreno–Adriatico	—	—	—	2	1	—	1	—	—	—	12	—	—	—
Volta a Catalunya	103	26	4	5	—	1	—	2	4	NH	14	4	—	DNF
Tour of the Basque Country	—	—	1	—	4	3	—	5	—		—	—	—	—
Tour de Romandie	—	—	—	—	8	1	—	—	—		—	—	—	—
Critérium du Dauphiné	—	38	—	—	—	—	—	—	9	DNF	18	—	—	—
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	—	—	—		3	—	NH	—	—	—	DNF

Awards and Recognition

Nairo Quintana was named the Colombian athlete of the year in both 2013 and 2014. This shows how important he is in his home country.

Images for kids

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  Quintana at the 2013 Tour of Britain

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  Quintana in the pink jersey at the 2014 Giro d'Italia

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  Quintana wearing the white jersey at the 2015 Tour de France

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  Quintana at the 2017 Giro d'Italia

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  Quintana at the 2019 Tour de France

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  Quintana at the 2022 Tour de France

See also

In Spanish: Nairo Quintana para niños