No one might have expected an out-and-out climber like Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) to ride alongside one-day specialists and GC contenders in the cobbled stages of the Tour de France.

The Colombian, who finished 14th in the Arenberg Porte du Hainaut on stage 5, confirmed that Quintana had successfully broken the mountain specialist script by finishing firmly in the main group led by yellow jersey holder Wout Van Aert (Yumbo Visma)

Quinta: "I'm very happy with the result.

Quintana remains in 19th place overall and will now enter terrain favorable to him, including Friday's summit finish on Planche des Belle Filles and the mountain challenges of the Tour de France from Sunday onward. Wednesday's performance should be a morale booster for the 32-year-old.

Quintana was defiantly upbeat when speaking to reporters after stage 5, noting that while the team had not yet developed to full strength compared to other top teams, "we knew how to defend ourselves well in this terrain."

"Having ridden off-road in the local Boyaca mountains helped us today. Riding in the Pavé in the previous Tour also helped."

One Colombian journalist even suggested that not only had the former Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España winner written an incredible chapter in his country's sporting history in the past, but his exploits in the Arenberg stage also marked another brilliant page in Colombian cycling history He even suggested that he had carved it. When "faced with non-believers and difficulties" such as stage 5, he responded that his ride was "a matter of strength of will and the desire of the mind to move forward every moment, which allows you to be on par with the best."

Quintana was asked what he meant by "not a believer" and replied, "It's not normal to be able to run 60 km/h on the pave when you weigh 56 or 57 kg. Every athlete of my size thinks so."[13

Quintana felt that his performance gives him cause for optimism for the upcoming challenges left in the Tour." We're happy and we'll keep fighting," he promised.

"I want to work well here and show that Alcarea's step up to the World Tour (in 2023) is not a gift.

Quintana, now in his early 30s, commented that his contemporaries are slowly disappearing from the peloton.

"So we have to enjoy our races. It's important to play an important role, to take chances, to give people something to talk about, as we did today."