Nairo Quintana will have the Tour de France and the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as his "priority" in 2016 and also focuses on the Vuelta a Espana. The Colombian Movistar riders believes that the Tour can be the ideal preparation to "go for the gold medal" in the road race in Brazil.

The Tour Tour de France, the Rio Olympics and the Vuelta a Espana will be the three pillars that will dictate the season of Quintana who feels ready. "I promise to go for gold in Rio 2016," he claimed at an official ceremony in Teusaquillo Visa (Bogota) where he outlined his next season and announced his ambitions.

There will only be two weeks between the end of the Tour (July 24) and the Olympic road race (August 6). He sees it as an advantage. "I do not think it's complicated, but it serves us well as we get out of the Tour with a great workload and rhythm. Extra preparation is not needed," he said. "The preparation is intended to go for the win in the Tour which is the number one target, and the commitment with the Colombians in Rio. It is not a pressure, rather a commitment. We will be at a high level after the Tour. We are preparing now and then we will go for the gold," he said about the Olympic challenge.

The Tour and the Games will be the "priority", but he made it cleat that he "also has to do the Vuelta". That make careful planning important. "The first quarter of the calendar will be much smoother and I will have the intention of doing recon of the different stages of the Tour. So I will get to the Tour and the Olympics with fewer racing days. Then I will have something left for a good Vuelta," he said.

In 2015, Quintana made the Tour-Vuelta double for the first time. He finished second in Paris behind Froome and fourth in Madrid. "Doing two in one year is not difficult. You have to know how to plan. This year I was second in the Tour de France after some misfortune. In the second stage we lost the Tour. After the virus, I finished fourth in the Vuelta, knowing I was not in my normal condition. It is not unreasonable to think that possibly in the next few years U can win both but for now we focus on winning the Tour," he said. In 2014, he won the Giro d'Italia and abandoned the Vuelta after crashing at a time when he led the race.

Valverde plays an important role in his plans to. "The idea is that Alejandro will possibly do the Giro and then go to the Tour to accompany me. We have handled different situations and hopefully we will find the right formula to win the Tour," said the blue leader, second in 2013 and 2015.

Regarding Rio 2016, he said that he plans to inspect "a course that suits me." "It will be very hilly and very favorable for us. And we have a great team that can win a medal. I have tried to make similar races on such course, such as Lombardy which I have done twice (16th in 2013 and 11th in 2012, ed.) and I've been up there so I think we can get a podium in Rio," he said.

He also praised to the signing of Carlos Betancur. "We have a two-week training camp in Spain to plan the races. Carlos has been signed to help Valverde in the classics and, according to his performance and how he is integrated into the team, he will earn a spot for the Tour de France," he said.

Finally, he spoke about the demise of Team Colombia. "It is regrettable and shameful that there are many issues to talk about. It is a shame to see Team Colombia fold and it was not because it was very expensive," he concluded.

In 2015 Quintana was third in the Tour de San Luis, he won on Monte Terminillo in the snow and the GC at Tirreno-Adriatico, was fourth in the Tour of the Basque Country, eighth in the Tour de Romandie, second in the Route du Sud , second in the Tour de France and Best Young rider and finished fourth in the Vuelta, his last race of the year.