Quintana returns, and back up to World Tour, after tramadol case

Nairo Quintana may been unable to find a new team after his tramadol test result last yearbut now the Colombian is back in the sport and back to World Tour level for the first time since 2019. He has secured a contract with Movistar after an intended contract extension with Arkéa Samsic fell through 12 months ago after news of his tramadol test result emerged.

He was retrospectively disqualified from the 2022 Tour de France – meaning he lost his results, including 6^th overall – after the UCI said the painkiller tramadol was found in blood samples taken from him after two stages of the race.

The UCI said the samples containing “the presence of tramadol and its two main metabolites” were returned by Quintana on stages 7 and 11 of the 2022 Tour – to La Planche des Belles Filles and Col de Granon, respectively.

However, while the use of tramadol in competition has been banned since 2019, its use was against the UCI’s medical regulations rather than a doping infringement. That meant while the Colombian was retrospectively disqualified from the Tour, he did not face a ban from competition, though was unable to find a team for the 2023 season.

He is now very much back, with a one-year contract announced today, which sees the 33-year-old return to the team he rode for for eight seasons to the end of 2019, during which time he won the Giro d’Italia and was twice 2nd in the Tour de France, both times finishing behind Chris Froome.

“I’m excited to return home. It’s been a difficult year. Days without sleep, many days of enormous sacrifice, getting on the bike and trying to walk forward, rain or shine. But it was worth it,” he said, though not directly mentioning tramadol as the reason for his year-long absence.

“I’m not going to waste the opportunity. I know the values ​​of the team, the values ​​of the sport. I am going to give my all to do well and I want to contribute to the team to obtain the best results.

“I thank Movistar Team, Telefónica and the team, the entire team, for this great opportunity, which I have been waiting for for so long. With my heart, and with my legs, I am going to give everything, for them and for the fans.”