Nairo Quintana has revealed that 2026 will be his final year of professional cycling, after a 16 year-long career.
The Movistar rider announced the news in a press conference ahead of the Volta a Catalunya on Sunday evening, the same race where the Colombian first showcased his dominance in the mountains in 2011.
“I want to say: it is over,” the 36-year-old said in Barcelona. “It is all over. And I am going home to my family.”
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“I am that boy who grew up amidst the mountains, in a place where life was anything but passive,” he continued. “I was just a kid who didn’t have much, but I possessed something far stronger: the burning desire to break free.
“I learned that this wasn’t just a sport. It was a way of life; lived step by step, without rushing the process. Then, in 2012, a new chapter began. From that point on – race after race, victory after victory – my triumphs were not mine alone; they belonged to an entire continent. They belonged to the Colombian land, to every life, every climb, and every finish line crossed.”
After a flurry of victories with the French team Arkéa-Samsic, he tested positive for Tramadol at the 2022 Tour, and was disqualified post-race. A year-long hiatus from cycling came as a result.
“These were moments of constant growth,” Quintana said of his career, “a journey that allowed me to mature both as an athlete and as a human being. It was a wonderful chapter, filled with learning, respect, and immense gratitude.”
Not only is Quintana one of Colombia’s greatest riders, he has campaigned for human rights alongside his career as a cyclist, work he will continue into his retirement.
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