Nairo Quintana (Movistar) is one of the most exciting talents in professional cycling and the winner of today’s spellbinding sixteenth stage of the 2014 Giro d’Italia.
The Colombian descended a snow-hit Passo dello Stelvio in fearless fashion, and while debate will rage about whether he should have done so (commissaries declared the section neutralised, then changed their minds), his victory, cemented on the 19km climb of the Val Martello, is beyond question.
We took the opportunity to get up close to the machine ridden by the man known to his 63,000 Twitter followers as NairoQuinCo: a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX, a change from the Aeroad CF on which he began the season with victory at the Tour de San Luis.
The Colombian produced one of the best rides of his career today to put 4.11 in to countryman and former race leader, Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), and snatch the maglia rosa. He now leads the race by 1.41.
Let’s take a look at the machine on which he achieved such an impressive victory.
