Cycling: The oldest team in the world wants to win the Tour de France with Nairo Quintana. A few days before the start, Velomotion looked behind the scenes.
Eusebio Unzué, the owner of the Movistar cycling team, is a man who exudes a rare, stylish elegance and nobility – a man of the world, well-traveled yet deeply rooted in his home region of Navarre in northern Spain. At a dinner with sponsors and journalists, he delivers an impromptu speech. He expresses his sincere delight at the interest in Team Movistar, which he says is a personal passion of his. Unzué thanks his bike sponsor, who invited him to the team headquarters in Pamplona for the presentation of a new model . He notes that no one has ever done that before. It's hard to imagine that there's anything Unzué hasn't experienced in the world of cycling. Since 1980, he has led the team, which, under the sponsor names Reynolds, Banesto, Illes Balears, Caisse d'Epargne, and now Movistar, has made cycling history. In the 2014 season, the team celebrated its 35th anniversary of racing. This makes Unzué's team the oldest professional cycling team in the world.
Eusebio Unzué's teams have become known for no fewer than seven victories in the Tour de France: Pedro Delgado 1988, Miguel Indurain 1991-1995 and Oscar Pereiro 2006. However, the bright light of the team's history also has shadows: Delgado was tested positive for probenecid when he won the 1988 Tour – a drug that can mask anabolic abuse. 15 days after the end of the race, the UCI added it to the list of prohibited substances. In 1994, after a positive test, Miguel Indurain became involved in a discussion about the asthma drug salbutamol. And one of the team's longtime key players - Alejandro Valverde - was serving a ban for involvement in the Fuentes affair. Given what is now known about practices within the peloton in the 1990s and 2000s, Unzué's teams were within the ordinary. It's hard to say whether the field of drivers is cleaner today – as has been promised many times.
One thing is clear: if Unzué and his technical director Alfonso Galilea have their way, tour victory number eight should be achieved in the coming weeks. Movistar relies on the small Colombian Nairo Quintana, who arrived in Paris in 2013 as second overall, with a stage win and two classification jerseys under his belt. Quintana proved that he can win a three-week tour with his Giro victory in 2014. This year's tour with its many climbs is tailor-made for the climbing specialist. But before it goes into the mountains, it has to survive the wind-prone flat stages and cobblestone sections of the first tour week unscathed. Speaking to Velomotion, Quintana spreads confidence: “I'm not afraid of these stages. The tour is equally difficult for all riders. My competitors can also lose a lot of time on the pavement. If I want to win, I have to be good on every terrain.” Alfonso Galilea is not so relaxed: “Cobblestones are part of Paris-Roubaix. It has no place in the Tour de France. This is a highly dangerous stage. We prepare meticulously for a year for the tour. With a route like this, everything can be gone in a second.” So what is Movistar's strategy for the 4th stage? "Survive. And pray it doesn't rain."
Such bold statements are not Nairo Quintana's thing. The 25-year-old is quiet and reserved. In personal conversations and in questions at the press conference, he answers briefly, often meaninglessly. He observes, orients himself towards his translator, seems to endure PR tasks as a necessary evil. He couldn't identify a main competitor, everyone is leading at a strong level. Yes, he feels well prepared. He is satisfied with his material, the new bike is pleasantly stiff. At Nairo Quintana you can break your teeth. So it is that in an interview with TOUR magazine he categorically denies being a political person, while the most recent portrait in Procycling emphasizes his various social and socio-political activities. Quintana, the elusive.
Anyone who experiences him on a racing bike will witness an amazing transformation. Quintana appears relaxed, liberated, joking with teammates and sponsors. Just taking part in the joint training drive with journalists makes Alfonso Galilea break out in sweat: “Guys, no risky driving manoeuvres, no selfies. We have a week and a half to go.” Ironically, it's the Movistar pros who take selfies and offer journalists the chance to take photos with their cellphones. And Nairo Quintana is right in the middle, delegates the entire field, when a car tries to overtake on a narrow road, suddenly shows a presence that seemed unthinkable before. He is in his element on the racing bike. But he also appears much more open when he meets people with whom he feels connected. During a break, he engages the owner of a mobile kiosk in a lengthy conversation - a small man of the people, like Quintana himself.
Quintana comes from a humble background in the countryside. His family made a living from selling fruit and vegetables. Every season, after an initial period of racing in Europe, he returns to Colombia to train in Tunja at 2.800 meters. "This time in Colombia is very important for Nairo," says Alfonso Galilea. "He's with his family, relaxed, collects himself for the tasks ahead and always comes back in top condition. Of course, the altitude training helps.” In Colombia, Quintana has been a star since his victory at the Giro d'Italia last year. "When people recognize him during training, they cheer and say hello and wish him every success for the races," says Galilea. "On narrow streets, when there are queues of cars because you can't overtake, people get angry. But when they realize it's Nairo they're driving behind, they stop, take pictures of him driving by, and get back in line. This support from home is a very special, additional motivation.”
After the joint training session, Nairo Quintana sits on the steps of the Movistar truck. He seems focused, ready for the task at hand. "The Tour de France is one of our most important races," confirms Galilea, "there are such emotions that you can hardly put into words. Tension, anticipation, stress... You hardly have a minute to relax and no leisure to enjoy. And yet you enjoy the spectacle. You draw so much from the crowds lining the roadside, from the excitement you throw at them. I'm looking forward to it finally starting!"
The trophies are stacked up in Movistar's material warehouse. Another success should come in three weeks: the first victory of a Colombian in the Tour de France, the eighth victory for a rider from Eusebio Unzué's teams.