Photo: filip bossuyt

Nairo Quintana says a teammate cost him the 2015 Tour de France, where the Columbian finished second to Chris Froome.

While he wouldn’t say which teammate, Quintana seemed to be pointing at Alejandro Valaverde, who on the 20th stage of the 2015 Tour on Alpe d’Huez appeared to not be riding to help Quintana. Valverde went on to finish third in the race.

“There was a moment that day – and he knows it – where, practically because of this rider, it was impossible to win the Tour de France,” Quintana told ESPN Bike.

The Arkea-Samsic rider seems to be more open about his time at Movistar since leaving the team after last season. Turmoil within the team, especially at the Tour de France, has been under the spotlight following the release of a documentary series on Netflix called “The Least Expected Day.”

Quintana had been soaring in the 2020 season before it was stopped because of public health concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

The season is pegged to begin again in August, with the Tour de France scheduled to start at the end of that month.