Many - CyclingQuotes included - have put Nairo Quintana at the top of the list of favourites for this year's Giro d'Italia but the Colombian refuses to put too heavy expectations on himself. At the moment, he just hopes to avoid any pitfalls in the first few stages and then hopes to makes the difference in the mountains in the final week.

The Waterfront Hall in Belfast was the venue for the top stars' press conference the Giro d'Italia holds every year with 48 hours from the start of the 'Corsa Rosa'. Nairo Quintana represented the Movistar Team as one of the biggest favourites for the overall podium, and spoke about his preparations in Colombia, his feelings and the 'boom' that cycling in his home country is witnessing during the last few years.

"I've prepared myself well to reach the race in big condition and I think I'm coming in good form into this big objective," said the man from Cómbita. "The race will dictate if I'll do better than him [Joaquim Rodríguez, appointed by the press as Nairo's main rival] or not.

"I've spent a month without race after Asturias was cancelled - it was the race where I needed to test my legs so as to know if everything was OK - but we did some good racing simulations in Colombia, the feelings were good when I got back to Pamplona, and I think we could make up for the lack of real racing.

"I agree with what 'Purito' says: the road will put everyone on their right place to be. Right now we're 0-0, and I think we all have the same chances.

"It's a demanding course, starting with Ireland, where the most important thing is not to lose the Giro, and it will be the same for the first stages in Italy. We have to pay attention to any splits, the wind, the danger of finishes and not giving away any seconds, not in the team time trial wither. Then, it will be our task to make more differences in the mountains. 

"I think we've got present and future in the same guys in Colombia - you can see there are four or five youngsters who are shining at the top of the sport, as well as many up and coming talents who have got great results lately. It might be the first time two riders from our country are in this kind of press conferences as race favourites, and I suppose many people in Colombia must be happy with all of this."