Nicknamed “Nairoman” and “El Cóndor de Los Andes” by fans for his excellent skills and know-how behind the wheel, Colombia-born Nairo Quintana is a well-known racing cyclist. He is currently part of the Movistar team.
Quintana did not decide to be a cyclist, his father discovered his skills in cycling which encouraged him to pursue a career in sport cycling and encouraged him to success. Today, he stands out as one of the best in his field with so many awards attesting and demonstrating that he is good and the best at what he does.
In 2014 he won the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España in 2016. He finished second overall in the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
Who is Nairobi Quintana?
Nairo was born into a poor Colombian farming family on February 4, 1990, as Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas. He is one of five children of his parents – Luis Quintana and Eloisa Rojas. He has two sisters, Nelly and Lady, and two brothers, Willington and Dayer, who is also a professional cyclist. He is part of the same team as his brother, Nairo.
Despite the family’s low and limited income, Quintana’s parents saved up money to buy him a well-used mountain bike to transport him to a school 10 miles from their home. The bicycle was also used to transport the products of the family farm (fruits and vegetables) from one place to another to sell them to consumers.
At the age of 16, Nairo Quintana, with his father’s car, started working as a taxi driver to earn extra income for the family, commuting between his hometown of Cómbita and Pamplona in Navarre. His father saw his talents and potential and saved up around 300,000 Colombian pesos (about $140) to get him a racing bike to see if he could pursue a career in the sport.
Career
Nairo Quintana started his cycling career with “Boyacá es para Vivirla”. In 2010, he was named one of Colombia’s greatest cycling hopefuls after winning the Tour de l’Avenir as part of the ‘Café de Colombia’ team.
He moved to Europe in 2012 to join the Spanish professional road bike racing team – Movistar Team. After his debut with the team, he won the general classification in a Vuelta a Murcia road bike race, held in Murcia, a city in southeastern Spain and its surroundings. This victory was followed by a victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné, a cycling stage race classified as a circuit of the world circuit in the UCI calendar.
After winning the Critérium du Dauphiné that same year, he won the Route du Sud and then started the Vuelta a España for the first time, finishing second and 36th. In October of the same year he won the Giro dell’Emilia and since then his career has taken off.
The following season (2013) he won three stages dela Volta a Catalunya, the following month, just before a group of six competitors, Quintana made a final climb to Eibar–Arrate in two seconds and emerged as the stage winner queen of the Tour of the Basque Country.
He would later become the overall winner in the time trial by finishing second to Tony Martin and gaining enough time over Sky’s team Sergio Henao to hold the leader’s jersey. In 2014, Nairo Quintana won the white jersey for the best young rider.
In 2016 he beat Sky’s team Chris Froome to claim victory. In the Vuelta a España Colombian Esteban Chaves finished third. Quintana started the 2017 season with the hope of winning the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. Unfortunately, his hopes were dashed when he finished second overall in the Giro-Tour and 12th overall, as Chris Froome won the Tour de France winner’s stage.
Also read on: Richie Porte: Here’s everything you need to know about the pro cyclist
Net salary
The professional cyclist’s annual salary is currently estimated at $161,520 and his net worth is estimated at $4 million (this figure has not been confirmed, however).
Nairo Quintana’s Height, Weight and Other Facts
The racing cyclist is 1.67 meters tall and weighs 58 kg (128 lbs).
Quintana said he barely survived childhood, as he was sick, malnourished and underweight. He is therefore involved in an NGO that promotes the health of infants.
It also collaborates with an NGO committed to combating violence against women and also works with a group involved in the development of cyclists.
Besides cycling, Quintana is an entrepreneur who is seriously building his name and brand image across Colombia and the rest of Latin America.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7u7PRZ6WerF%2Bau3DDyKSgaK%2BYpHqqv4ynmKKqn5e2br3UoqWtmZ6Weqm10mafnqGXncFuw8SinqGsXaiura3RsmSappRivLW0xKtkn5mTqcBw