Dayer Quintana (1992m Movistar Team) took the overall victory at the Tour de San Luis (2.1, Argentina), a breakthrough win. Now the Colombian is confident that he can "follow the same line" and leave behind "frustration" of last year’s Giro d'Italia, in a parallel career to that of his brother Nairo.

Quintana has moved on from "a cloudy season." "I have changed the trend," he says from Mallorca, where he has returned to competition after his victory in San Luis.

“Thank God I started on the right foot,” he says in a press release. “I had a good pre-season, I got in good shape, and I am seeing results. Unfortunately, we lost Adriano (Malori) in the crash and most of the team was involved, only Fran (Ventoso) and I managed to escape.

”I think what has changed is the way I think. Last year I finished the Giro very frustrated because I had expectations. I was very focused on the Giro, very expectant. Despite the crash I had in the very beginning, I thought I was going to make my mark, but I was bad. The rest of the season was cloudy.
 

“Now I think I have changed the trend and this year I am very motivated. I have managed to overcome this difficulty from the Giro. It was something that distracted me a bit. I did not train well and you do not compete well with frustration, and now I think I have left it behind.

“Winning is not easy, but to keep the level is even harder. Now I have done the most important and at the same time, I am facing the most complicated. The fact that I won in San Luis does not mean that I have forgotten the rest of my goals. The world continues. Yes, I have had a very good start and I think what comes from here will be good.

“Nairo has hlped me. We started to work very focused and he helped me to change the tremd. We support each other. It's great to train with him. You suffer but you know there are rewards.

“My father enjoyed it more than my mother. He is elated and shows his happiness. My mother, however, is quieter, like Nairo, and she was very happy even though she didn’t show it.”

Today Dayer will be at the start of the very hilly Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana.
 

“I do not know what plans the team have, but we will work for Alejandro Valverde and I will try to use my good form.

”In principle, I will then do the Tour Haut-Var. It remains to be defined. I will do the Giro and hopefully get in good shape to help Alejandro in everything we can. And I'll have more maturity and desire, knowing how to ride a Giro and three-week race.

”One day I hope to see in a big race with Nairo, whether I am helping him or vice versa. I am very young but the Tour is different from the Giro and Vuelta, and he has his team ​​with experienced riders whom he is not going to disappoint.”