A missed opportunity: Sciandri thinks back to Nairo on Mottolino

May 19, 2024: Manerba del Garda-Livigno. That was the day that Maximilian Sciandri, sports director of Movistar, he recalls with a mixture of pride and regret.

On the great mountains of Tour of Italy, Nairo Quintana returned to the forefront after a long breakUnfortunately, he encountered a certain Tadej Pogacar on his path, who, with a feat of power, snatched the stage victory from him at 2.300 meters above sea level at Mottolino.

Max Sciandri (born 1967) is one of the sports directors of Movistar

So, Max, what was your missed opportunity this season?

The Mottolino stage of the Giro. Nairo was in a breakaway… a huge breakaway! There were more than 30 riders in the lead. We had Nairo in the lead, Pelayo Sanchez, which had already won a stage and another one I don't remember now. We had three in that escape.

So, did you believe it?

Very very much. We immediately decided to race to Nairo. He was returning after a year's break and had to manage his energy carefully. But he was improving, and those climbs and altitudes were his terrain. The stage went as expected. The breakaway gained a good lead, but thinking back today...

Thinking back on it today…

Well, that day there was a lot of discussion about who should push and who shouldn't. I was told that Nairo wasn't contributing much, and that slowed the pace a bit. I know for a fact that at that point even Alaphilippe, who knows his stuff, wasn't pushing hard. For me, that somewhat limited the advantage we could have built up. In the end, Pogacar rejoined the breakaway with a couple of kilometers to go. If there had been a bigger gap, Nairo probably could have won.

A large breakaway, Quintana (while drinking) tries to save his energy. If he had pushed harder, would things have changed?

But if there had been a bigger gap, don't you think Pogacar would have started earlier?

No, I don't think so, because there was no one who could worry him about the standings. But of course, once he had the breakaway in sight, he tried. Pogacar was so strong that he caught everyone at an impressive speed.

When did you realize he wasn't going to make it?

When Pogacar closed in, he was 30-40 seconds behind. Even though there were less than 3 kilometers to go, it was impossible to hold him. Victory was out of reach.

Did you try to motivate Nairo more that day? Did you say anything to him on the radio?

Yes, we believed in it until the end. The other breakaway riders gave it their all to keep the action alive, but Nairo, as I mentioned, saved a bit and actually went further ahead than everyone else. I told him to believe in it. At the end Eusebio also took the microphone (Unzue, the team manager, ed.) He had arrived just that day. He was very nice too. Hearing him get emotional on the radio was special. So he's a manager, an experienced team owner… and yet he was there with us.

With less than 3 km to go, Pogacar arrives like a hawk from behind, and Nairo is doomed… In the end, however, he'll be second.

And how did it go after the stage? That evening at dinner, what did you say to Quintana?

When I went on the "room tour," I told him a joke that somehow stuck around throughout our team that year. I asked him, "Nairo, did you have fun?" He looked at me a little surprised and replied, "No one had ever asked me that. I had a lot of fun, Max."

An unexpected response for a champion like him!

Yes, but it's important to remember that, beyond the sacrifices, cycling must also be fun. Ultimately, as I always say, we all do our homework: training, training camps, a certain diet, days away from family... and It is also important to experience racing more lightheartedly, even during the key moments. That joke, somehow, got around the team and at the end of the meetings on the bus, Quintana in particular would conclude with: "Guys, let's have fun."

Do you think that stage gave him confidence for the future?

Definitely. Finishing second behind the world's best is a significant achievement. It gave him confirmation and the knowledge that he can still be there. Last year, racing was important to him. This year he arrives at the new season with a completely different mindset, more convinced and more determined than in 2024.