Nairo Quintana (Movistar) burst onto the scene last season, marking himself as a serious Grand Tour contender with second place at the Tour de France – picking up the King of the Mountains and best young rider jerseys in the process.

It’s hard to believe the Colombian climbing sensation – who also won last year’s Tour of the Basque Country and this year claimed top spot at the Tour de San Luis – is just 24 years old but Quintana has taken to Grand Tour life like a duck to water.

And the Giro d’Italia course, with plenty of big summit finishes, looks perfect for the Movistar man. Third on La Molina and fifth atop Vallter 2000 at the Volta a Catalunya, and second on the Cittareale at Tirreno-Adriatico show Quintana has been in steady form on the summit finishes this season and after a month away from competitive racing he will be hoping to prove he is in peak form at the Giro.

Quintana is the bookmakers favourite for the Giro d’Italia and has already proved he has the beating of riders like Joaquim Rodriguez – doing so in style on Mont Semnoz at the  2013 Tour de France. Purito got the better of him in Catalunya but if Quintana arrives on top form, he will at least be on the final podium.