The Movistar Team bus is not usually a major point of congregation for local fans ahead of a Flemish classic but a determined flock gathered for a glimpse of Nairo Quintana in unfamiliar terrain in Roeselare’s Pollenplein on Wednesday morning.
While most riders at the start of Dwars door Vlaanderen line up aiming to fine-tune their condition ahead of the Tour of Flanders, Quintana arrived here with rather different ambitions. With the Tour de France set to the return to the pavé once again this year, the Colombian has opted – like his teammate Alejandro Valverde twelve months ago – to sample the cobbles by racing in Belgium.
Quintana had spent Tuesday morning across the border in France, making the pilgrimage to check out the sectors of pavé that will feature on stage 4 to Cambrai in July. On Wednesday, he looked to apply his learning as he took his competitive bow on the cobbles and an immersion course in the dark arts of scrambling for position on the narrow, rocky tracks of the Flemish Ardennes.
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Although Quintana ultimately wasn’t a factor in Dwars door Vlaanderen in the same way Valverde was a year ago, he did remain within sight of the action until the final hour of racing, before sitting up in the finale and crossing the line at the back of the main peloton, seven minutes down on winner Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise).
Rain was general across Flanders on Wednesday and there was, quite understandably, precious little appetite from any of Movistar’s number to emerge from their cloister until the last possible moment before the start. It also meant that a sizeable crowd gathered as the minutes ticked by, as though awaiting a Marian apparition.
When Quintana finally did appear, however, there was disappointment for some. The Colombian was running for late and did not pause to sign autographs – though he may well have felt it would have been tempting fate to sign the yellow jersey proffered by one young fan in any case.
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