Where is Quintana?

[jilbiker]

Reading about Nibs comments on the whereabouts of Quintana. Its a very valid query. Why should Quintana go to Columbia to train? I have asked this question several times on why it is allowed. Sorry but Columbia does not exactly have a great reputation on drugs or law and order. What sort of monitoring can be done there? Remember when Rasmusen was missing and guess where he was? In Mexico.

Its not country bias, its just the facts, its not fair that say someone who comes from Greenland can go during the season to Greenland and train, saying he misses home. While Froome can go to a hotel in Europe for a time with family and get a doping check. Not saying there isn't a WADA group in Columbia but I have little confidence in the reliability again given the country history on drugs, corruption and respect of law and order.

I have said that UCI should specify where a cyclist can go or not go during the season. Nothing wrong with missing your family for a few weeks or months. you can go back and visit once in a while. It comes with the job. Consultants travel all over the world, missing family and friends. And that is cycling, if you want a 9 to 5 job in one location where you see family and friends then select another job, not cycling.

 

[ebandit]

the question to myself is not why should but...............why would nairo spend so long training

in columbia pre TDF............of course he has every right to train where he lives...........but

i would expect anyone competing at this top level in the TDF to require more racing

miles

Mark L

 

[SeriousSam]

It's certainly much easier to predict when you're going to be tested you train in your home town in Colombia. And probably less often too. By virtue of training there, Quintana undoubtedly finds it easier to dope than elsewhere.

 

[The_Cheech]

Reading about Nibs comments on the whereabouts of Quintana. Its a very valid query. Why should Quintana go to Columbia to train? I have asked this question several times on why it is allowed. Sorry but Columbia does not exactly have a great reputation on drugs or law and order.

And, of course, Italy, and by extension Italian cyclists, have a spotless record when it comes to all-things-doping.

The nerve!

I don't know if you know this but... one of the last positives cases involved an Italian cyclist. Yet, THAT does not raise suspicion.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Rasmussen was in Italy.

Furthermore the thesis is stupid. Movistar pays the guy and decides, simple.

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/what-we-do/science-medical/laboratories/accredited-laboratories#region-americas

 

[BYOP88]

Great OP! During the cycling season all pro-cyclists should live in one compound/prison type thing and only be allowed out when they're racing.

 

[jilbiker]

It's certainly much easier to predict when you're going to be tested you train in your home town in Colombia. And probably less often too. By virtue of training there, Quintana undoubtedly finds it easier to dope than elsewhere.

My point exactly, much easier to dope. The recent case of doping in Italy did not involve any star rider. WADA can't check everyone every 2 days, they focus on the star riders. And its less easy for star riders to dodge like in the LA days since most of their tricks have been exposed. let Quintana train over here and lets see how well his performance will be.

The more training miles and less racing miles reminds me of the LA template.

 

[Catwhoorg]

2015
Quintana 34 race days 5046 km
Contador 44 races days 7271 km
Nibali 37 race days 5845 km
Froome 27 race days 4079 km
TJVG 36 race days 5846 km

More race days in his legs than Froome, about the same as TJ and Nibali, though less km due to shorter stages.

(data from CQ )

 

[Billie]

Reading about Nibs comments on the whereabouts of Quintana. Its a very valid query. Why should Quintana go to Columbia to train? I have asked this question several times on why it is allowed.

They should forbid him from seeing his family..?

And its Colombia.

 

[Escarabajo]

Reading about Nibs comments on the whereabouts of Quintana. Its a very valid query. Why should Quintana go to Columbia to train? I have asked this question several times on why it is allowed. Sorry but Columbia does not exactly have a great reputation on drugs or law and order. What sort of monitoring can be done there? Remember when Rasmusen was missing and guess where he was? In Mexico.

Its not country bias, its just the facts, its not fair that say someone who comes from Greenland can go during the season to Greenland and train, saying he misses home. While Froome can go to a hotel in Europe for a time with family and get a doping check. Not saying there isn't a WADA group in Columbia but I have little confidence in the reliability again given the country history on drugs, corruption and respect of law and order.

I have said that UCI should specify where a cyclist can go or not go during the season. Nothing wrong with missing your family for a few weeks or months. you can go back and visit once in a while. It comes with the job. Consultants travel all over the world, missing family and friends. And that is cycling, if you want a 9 to 5 job in one location where you see family and friends then select another job, not cycling.

Very silly question. Because his home is there and he lives at altitude. That is a luxury to have. It is up to the UCI to go and test him there every week. Do you need his address???

You don't even need his address because everyone in Combita, Boyacá knows where he lives and sleeps!!!

And Nibali of all people. Please, really.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Mind games. Pure and simple.

 

[IamIronMan]

Reading about Nibs comments on the whereabouts of Quintana. Its a very valid query. Why should Quintana go to Columbia to train? I have asked this question several times on why it is allowed.

People are allowed their opinions on anything, especially on doping. There are a lot of crazy theories, and some, not so much. But this is one of the dumbest things I've ever read, sorry. You are basically saying "why is he allowed to be home", which, if you actually think about it, is pretty farking dumb.

Also, you say it's not country bias, then immediately espouse your country bias. May as well just have said "those little brown people living in the jungle" since that's probably what you are thinking. Should we remind you of the biggest doping fraud ever, and what first world country he comes from, and what first world countries he trained and raced in? Yes, let's put him somewhere in Europe, where the testing is just spot on, and all dopers are caught.

 

[gmedina]

Reading about Nibs comments on the whereabouts of Quintana. Its a very valid query. Why should Quintana go to Columbia to train? I have asked this question several times on why it is allowed. Sorry but Columbia does not exactly have a great reputation on drugs or law and order. What sort of monitoring can be done there? Remember when Rasmusen was missing and guess where he was? In Mexico.

Its not country bias, its just the facts, its not fair that say someone who comes from Greenland can go during the season to Greenland and train, saying he misses home. While Froome can go to a hotel in Europe for a time with family and get a doping check. Not saying there isn't a WADA group in Columbia but I have little confidence in the reliability again given the country history on drugs, corruption and respect of law and order.

I have said that UCI should specify where a cyclist can go or not go during the season. Nothing wrong with missing your family for a few weeks or months. you can go back and visit once in a while. It comes with the job. Consultants travel all over the world, missing family and friends. And that is cycling, if you want a 9 to 5 job in one location where you see family and friends then select another job, not cycling.

Colombian here. I can think of a few reasons.

Terrain. Mountains...mountains everywhere (except in Los Llanos). Dude, Paramo de las Letras, Alto de Minas and the mythical La Linea (which would put any European climb to shame in terms of length/gradient). Also, high altitude.

How about weather? Boyaca is cold...but he literally can ride/go anywhere and you can be in beautiful weather within a matter of hours. And we do not get snow, so weather is a bit better year round.

Food. Oh good god, foood...I am Software Engineer, born in Colombia, lived in Barcelona, and currently in NYC. After more than ten years abroad....the second thing that I miss the most is food!!!!

Which brings me to the thing that I miss the most. FAMILY!!! Quintana just had a kid. He probably wants to spend as much time as he can with his family and kid. I bet a cyclist work/life balance is not great...but if he works permits it, and he can still do his job (which is be a world class cyclist) why the *** not????? As I said before, I am programmer. And guess what I do about 1 month or 2 months a year??? I work from Colombia (even though I live in NYC)!!!! My work permits it, and I still am able to perform and succeed at my job. If it did not permit, then yeah, Id *** suck it up and visit family on my vacations or have them come to visit me. Now, before you say...."why not have the family move to Europe?"...well, you'd be a foreigner in a strange place, with different culture, trying to assimilate, it is not easy. But after living in Barcelona for 1 year, I can say that living in Spain for a South American is not easy, specially for a Colombian because of the stereotype that the world have of us....just like you captured so well.

Now, Colombia is in a much better place than it was in the 80s/90s in terms of stability (some might rightly argue that is being *** up by the job of the current president Santos). So, don't paint a version of Colombia that has changed a lot. What I will give you is the following: It'd be stupid to deny that there is a problem of doping in Colombia, but the same can be said for Europe. Just look at Vuelta a Colombia or Clasico RCN...lots of insanely good climbers. However, why does the pro peloton does not hire them? That is right, because of shady teams with no doping control. However, the likes of Quintana, Pantano, Chavez, Chalpud, Atapuma came out of, now defunct, Colombia es Pasion / 4/72 team. That team had high standards for testing, and had a reputation for being ethical....and those we see getting hired by the Pro Peloton. For instance, you can read one of the latest article from here http://www.alpsandes.com/posts/2015/6/23/when-the-word-omert-ceases-to-be-mere-allusion (formely Cycling Inquisition)

So, people like you and, out of all *** people Nibali (which I'm pretty sure will be climbing like The Angel (Aru) after showing nothing in the whole season), is questioning Quintana because he *** trains in his home country, and on top of all, brings the stereotypical view of Colombia into the conversation should just shut your trap and use your brain before speaking/typing.

 

[therhodeo]

Ah the clinic. You never disappoint.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

I like Nibali
but he is wrong here
he should apologize to Nairo
both are family men
both could be useful allies against CF or AC

 

[Angliru]

What a ridiculous thread. He has a young child, wife and family in Colombia. His rivals train at altitude in Spain and he decides to do the same but in Colombia where he can spend time with his family who he likely hasn't seen in several months and train at the same time. Why should he be denied the opportunity to be with his family because he isn't from any of the European nations?

 

[mrhender]

I can understand the OP's concerns that Quintana may be suffering (and exploiting) a lesser effective testing regime (when home) than his contenders.. However this for me is something we cannot criticize him for.. had he been from europe with no ties to south america i would be the first to raise eyebrows over months dissapearrance on the other side of the globe..

 

[fenns]

I doubt there's much if any testing in Columbia but it is his home so fair enough. Of more interest is why SKY go to Majorca.

 

[Benotti69]

Quintana is cleans. Ryo tell us this so it must be true.

 

[Anaconda]

Nairo should have just said I was training at my home - somewhere I know that the doorbell works perfectly and somewhere I have to answer the door myself as there is no concierge to tell the control officers to go away.

 

[carton]

What sort of monitoring can be done there? Remember when Rasmusen was missing and guess where he was? In Mexico.

LOL. The reason Rasmussen got busted was literally that he wasn't in Mexico, but in northern Italy, probably the sketchiest place in the cycling world in terms of doping, if you find ranking these things at all helpful (as history has proven, you can really dope anywhere you want to). Also, conveniently close to where Lo Squalo trains.

BTW, in case your query comes from a place of inadvertent rather than willful ignorance, as I understand it Nairo's home base is Tunja, pop. 150,000, 2 hours by car from Bogotá, pop. 8 million. I'd guess a drug tester would be harder to spot than going up to Parador de Turismo de Las Cañadas de Teide, pop. a few dozen (not incorporated so I can't really tell), from Santa Cruz, pop. 200,000. Also, testing is probably more frequent due to the fact that there's a anti-doping lab right there in Bogotá. Again, not arguing that Quintana is clean, just that this is so utterly ridiculous coming from the show-nothing-until-the-Tour Astana rider. Nibali trying to goad the 25-year-old Quintana and check his temperature would be my best guess.

 

[doperhopper]

I doubt there's much if any testing in Columbia but it is his home so fair enough. Of more interest is why SKY go to Majorca.

you should praise them for being easily available - next year they'll do one month long training camp on Klilimanjaro, then Tibet and then North pole

 

[franic]

What sort of monitoring can be done there? Remember when Rasmusen was missing and guess where he was? In Mexico.

LOL. The reason Rasmussen got busted was literally that he wasn't in Mexico, but in northern Italy, probably the sketchiest place in the cycling world in terms of doping, if you find ranking these things at all helpful (as history has proven, you can really dope anywhere you want to). Also, conveniently close to where Lo Squalo trains.

Italy has actually one of the toughest anti doping law in the World nowadays. If you don't believe me, ask Sandro Donati who is the guy who busted Conconi and Ferrari. Italy used to be the best place for dopers in the 80\90s.
I guess it should be clear from the fact that, after having dominated one day races, there's no Italian winner in a Classic since Gasparotto's Amstel if you exclude Paolini at Gent Wevelgem few months ago.

 

[Benotti69]

What sort of monitoring can be done there? Remember when Rasmusen was missing and guess where he was? In Mexico.

LOL. The reason Rasmussen got busted was literally that he wasn't in Mexico, but in northern Italy, probably the sketchiest place in the cycling world in terms of doping, if you find ranking these things at all helpful (as history has proven, you can really dope anywhere you want to). Also, conveniently close to where Lo Squalo trains.

Italy has actually one of the toughest anti doping law in the World nowadays. If you don't believe me, ask Sandro Donati who is the guy who busted Conconi and Ferrari. Italy used to be the best place for dopers in the 80\90s.
I guess it should be clear from the fact that, after having dominated one day races, there's no Italian winner in a Classic since Gasparotto's Amstel if you exclude Paolini at Gent Wevelgem few months ago.

Ferrari never stopped working. Plenty of Italians continue to dope. Plenty have been caught in recent times, whether that has been detrimental to winning, hard to say.

 

[neineinei]

The Italian anti-doping laws might be though, but still, when we hear of team programs these days, it's in Italy. Vino ordering Ferrari's services for a bunch of Astana riders and Ferrari meeting riders outside Grand Hotel Croce di Malta in Montecatini Terme, Savio hiring a nutritionist to feed the riders EPO and U23 Team T-VB handing out pills to their riders.

The Ferrari story we know of because of the Italian law enforcement, but the other two stories are known because of CIRC and a young NZ whistleblower alarming UCI.