Nairo Quintana considers participation in the Giro d'Italia next season. That was the surprise announcement from the Movistar rider during a press conference of his team last weekend. The last time the Colombian climber did the Giro was in 2014 when he secured the overall victory.

This year, Quintana finished third in the Tour and won the Vuelta.

“The Tour and Vuelta didn’t turn out so bad, so maybe we can try it with the Giro and Tour,” Quintana said. “If we don’t try, we’ll never know what will happen.”

Team boss Eusebio Unzue confirmed that the team is considering the option.

“With Nairo, the Tour clearly is the top goal, but we are also considering racing the Giro as well,” Unzué said. “We have to look at all the possibilities, and maybe we’ll race the Tour-Vuelta combination. The final decision is not made.”

"For Nairo the Tour clearly the main goal, but we also consider to ride the Giro," he says. "We need to look at all the possibilities, perhaps we drive or the Tour and the Vuelta. The decision has not been taken yet.”

According to the Spanish sports daily Marca Unzue will only make a decision after consultation with sponsor Telefonica.

“I would love to see a Giro with all the big stars in the race,” Unzué said. “The Giro is a spectacular race, and with the topography the country delivers, it has the makings of a great race. If all the top riders were there, I think it would be something good for our sport.

 “We have seen riders who can do it, including Miguel [Indurain] in his da. I think if you can modify the schedule, there is enough time to recover after the Giro and be ready for the Tour. The key is how hard the Giro is.”

If he decides to ride the Giro, Quintana is unlikely to be up against Chris Froome. "I think it is unlikely given my focus on the Tour, but I do not exclude it," the Sky rider told Cyclingnews at the Saitama Criterium. "We have not made my schedule for next year. That will happen in the coming weeks,” he explained.