Nairo Quintana ready to attack Chris Froome
Colombian cyclist Nairo Quintana said on Thursday that "tomorrow the terrain for attacking" the leader of the Tour de France, British cyclist Chris Froome, starts, who is currently 3:10 minutes ahead in general classification.
"Tomorrow we have tough mountains, it's a hilly day and we hope that Froome will suffer and not me," said the leader of Movistar.
Quintana said that he has been targeting the remaining two alpine stages since the beginning of the Tour, which he has reconnoitered several times and knows well.
"I have marked them, I have recognized these places, I know them well, and I hope that the mountains treat me well tomorrow and the day after," he said.
When asked about his favorite stage between the two, Quintana said, "La Toussuiere is very beautiful, but Alpe d'Huez is more famous and has a greater impact" and reiterated that he likes it more.
Quintana stated that it would not be a disappointment if he does not recover time from Froome in the remaining two stages: "We are happy with what we have, but we continue to search for the yellow jersey."
The Colombian cyclist considered it a positive sign that Froome did not respond to one of his attacks on the ascent to Glandon, a special category climb.
"These are messages that play in my favor and boost my morale. I had to ease off because Alejandro Valverde was going through a small crisis at that moment and the finish line was still far away. Tomorrow is a different stage, same as Alpe d'Huez, where we can try," he commented.
Quintana acknowledged that his teammate Alejandro Valverde will now have a showdown for the third place in the general classification. "It will be a Spanish war between them. Tomorrow, I hope Alejandro is better," he said.