Nairo Quintana has announced that he will return to the Giro d'Italia next month, 10 years after his overall win in Corsa Rosa. The race will be Quintana's first Grand Tour appearance since he was disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France for testing positive for tramadol.

Tramador was only added to WADA's banned list on January 1 of this year, and although he was not suspended at the time, Quintana parted company with Arkea Samsic shortly thereafter and was unable to find a team for 2023.

Last fall, Quintana was surprisingly offered a helping hand by his old team, Movistar. However, he contracted COVID-19 at the Tour Colombia, delaying the start of the European season. Also, a crash at the Volta a Catalunya resulted in Quintana dislocating his collarbone, putting his participation in the Giro in jeopardy.

At a press conference in Bogota on Tuesday to promote Sport Riding, Quintana admitted that he would compete in the Giro, but suggested that he was aiming for a stage win rather than the original goal of a top overall finish. He will support Enric Mas at the Vuelta a España.

"I may not be in the best conditions or physical condition for the Giro d'Italia, but I want to ride well," Quintana said. By the end of the last week, I should be much better than I was at the beginning."

Quintana will be accompanied by compatriots Ainel Rubio and Fernando Gaviria in the Movistar lineup in Italy." "I know I'm not at my best level, but I'm going to try for stage wins and mountain stages," said Quintana, who admitted that the start of the 2024 season has been "complicated.

Quintana's return to the World Tour was controversial. In an exchange on Geraint Thomas' podcast, which has since been deleted, Thomas, a Welshman, said Quintana "shouldn't be racing," while teammate Luke Rowe described the Colombian as a "little shit rat."

Meanwhile, former Sky teammate Wout Poels admitted to making fun of Quintana for testing positive for tramadol when they fought for position at the Volta a Catalunya.

"Some people like us, some don't like us. We have done very good things for our country and that is what should fill our hearts," Quintana replied in Bogotá when asked about his reputation in the peloton.

He compared his situation to the fable of the "deaf frog."

[20] "We go on like the deaf frog, seeking the desired purpose, beating our chests, knowing who we are and where we come from. It fills me with joy."