It's been almost ten years since we saw that specific mythical duel on Mont Ventoux between Chris Froome e Nairo Quintana. Chris was in full swing, and Nairo was a kid who almost died at his wheel. But he was also the only one capable of withstanding those tremendous accelerations. It seemed like the next five... Tour de France were already his. Instead…
But that wasn't the case. And yet, here they are both still. In the Alps, they saw each other in alternating fashion. On the Granon, it was the Colombian's turn, and on the Alpe, the British one.
In a certain way we can say that Class surpasses age. It surpasses age but not watts and kids, Even though Quintana is in an excellent position in the overall standings, he's seriously in danger of making the podium. We want to focus on him.
Differences and similarities
The rider of theArkea-Samsic In some respects it has changed a lot, in others it is totally identical to the one in 2013.
What has changed? He's undoubtedly more mature. Compared to many of his South American predecessors, he's paid less for the leap in quality. Often, many of his fellow countrymen, once they had achieved economic prosperity, tended to give up, if not disappear altogether. One of the most striking examples was Jose Rujano.
Quintana has overcome this phase. Maybe he went through it during his best years, but the fact remains that he is still there. And yes, he could have lost more, given that he was ultimately the first South American to win a major Giro. And this gave him enormous visibility. It also brought a certain media pressure, as well as financial pressure. But now it's gone, and two-thirds of the way through the Tour de France, he's sixth, a hundred seconds off the podium.
The one that instead What hasn't changed is his pedaling. That's the same, as is his expression. Whether he's "full speed ahead" or just taking a stroll, Quintana is impassive. And it's incredible. His climber cadence remains beautiful, with his leg pushing the gears well. That long femur allows him to shift gears like a rouleur... and in fact he holds his own even in time trials.
And his ability to navigate the winds and difficult race situations hasn't changed either. The 2014 pink jersey has consistently remained at the front of the field in this Tour as well.
Another cycling
Compared to that Nairo of 2013, cycling itself has changed more than him. The main players are different. This sport has seen a further step forward, both scientifically and tactically. Once upon a time, there was Sky, and everyone followed suit, gradually jumping like bowling pins under its pressure.
Now you have to be ready, perhaps 80 kilometers from the finish, and you have to be ready in the head-to-head. Clearly, the issue of fitness remains key. But for those who have grown up in a certain way, adapting to change isn't so easy.
"Now," Quintana said in interviews after the finishes, "it's like this. One day one fails, another fails. In this Tour, I hope my bad day is over. It's true, I was often alone, both in the Granon stage and in the Alpe d'Huez stage. And believe it or not, a lot of things get worn out in these situations. I hope not, but I think I'll pay for all this in the end."
Between heat and podium
In his interviews several times Nairo talked about the heat. He suffers a lot from it. Even Michele Bartoli, who followed him until last season, told us about the Colombian's breathing problems bordering on asthma when the mercury rises.
And if you think about it, many of its greats He achieved victories in the cold: the Terminillo stage under the snow at the 2015 Tirreno, the Val Martello stage with the Stelvio blizzard the year before.
"My team and I," Quintana says, "will continue to fight. Overall, things went well in the Alps. I was just a little distracted in the early stages when I dropped away on Alpe d'Huez, but the pace was higher than on Granon.
"We're looking ahead, but it's not easy, because temperatures in the Pyrenees are forecast to exceed 35 degrees, and that worries me a little."
Bearing in mind that everything is still open, and assuming that the yellow jersey is a two-way discussion between vingegaard e pogacar, the fight for the third step of the podium is even more uncertain.
«On the Alpe I paid a little, but the podium remains in sight", said Quintana.
A question of climate
The pursuit of this podium also requires experience and tranquility. Not that during the Tour days (and also in the past) Nairo was a super chatterbox, however he never held back in the moments dedicated to the pressAnd this is a sign of calm. The same calm he showed in the post-stage race in Megeve.
That day, riders had to retrace the final 7 kilometers of the route to get back to the buses. At the end, there was a roundabout and total chaos. No signs for the buses.
Quintana was the only one who He asked for directions calmly and kindly and even after taking the wrong turn he didn't get upset, As many of his colleagues did, who perhaps weren't even competing for top positions. A small thing, but one that might matter.
«Quintana – says Bartoli – needs the right flow to go fast. And the right flow is the environment that works as a team. A bit like I was. If the team feels like a family, Nairo performs well.
"For me If he's well, he can still fight at a high, very high level. Also because I know how he trains, I know that he lives the life of an athlete and is a true pro."
