Tour de la Provence: Nairo Quintana's start 2022
Our leader Nairo Quintana will make his comeback on the roads of the Provence, a race that has been successful for him in the recent past.
Pre-race
“I won the Tour de la Provence in 2020 in my first season with Arkéa-Samsic. I am motivated by the idea of coming back to this competition and being able to play a big role again. My physical condition is good, I started training again after contracting the Covid a few weeks ago, and little by little I’ve been putting in more work. I hope to be in good condition for this event which will allow me to compete again in 2022. If the opportunity arises to play a big role in this race, as I said, I will do everything to seize it. I don’t know the Montagne de Lure very well, but some of my team-mates have already spoken to me about it, they have described the characteristics of this climb. I hope that I will be in good physical condition for this competition and that I will be able to fight with the best riders, and thus achieve a good overall classification“.
“The Tour de la Provence is a complete race because it starts with a time trial. A prologue exactly, then it will be a sprint, to see what role the wind can play and the possibility of tackles on that day. Then there will be a stage for a puncheur, and on the last day the Montagne de Lure. A climb that I have recognised and that can crown a climber, but watch out for the puncheurs who could already be in great shape. It’s a climb that can be climbed with speed, but with less slope breaks than the Ventoux. There will be some gaps and it will be a matter of explanation between the favourites. However, there are some passages that are “pure climbers” and the latter will have to exploit them”.
The briefing of the DS
“Obviously, the Tour de la Provence evokes beautiful recent memories for the Arkéa-Samsic team with two of our leaders. This race, as in 2020, will kick off Nairo Quintana’s season, but with a different route than in previous editions, and the finish at the top of the Montagne de Lure which is different from the Mont Ventoux up to the Chalet Reynard. We are going to this Tour de la Provence with ambitions and like every time we compete with the desire to do well and performs:”.
The news
Dayer Quintana, like his brother, will pin on his first race number of the season at this 2022 Tour de la Provence.
The number
3
The Arkéa-Samsic team has won three times in this event, two stage victories with Nacer Bouhanni and Nairo Quintana, plus a final general classification.