Quintana rides key stages of the Tour de France

Nairo Quintana has ridden three key days of the last week of the Tour de France, two dreaded days in the Alps and the final time trial in Marseille

The Movistar Team leader, accompanied by Jose Luis Arrieta, has ridden key stages of the 2017 Tour de France that could decide the winner in Paris.

24 days after snatching his second podium finish in the Giro d’Italia, Nairo Quintana is trying to make the most of the nine sleeps remaining before the start of the Tour de France (he’ll have enjoyed 33 while getting ready for his second Grand Tour of the season).

Nairo Quintana said “After the end of the Giro, I stayed off the bike at home for like a week, and following a couple more days of active rest I started to train more seriously, and took advantage of the race-free month to check some of the key stages in the Tour. The past week and this one are being the most intense ones when it comes to training. The fact that we went last week on a recce of the Alps stages made it quite more demanding, but it was good, since our plan for this week was taking on some harder training to finetune our form for the Tour. The approach to the Tour is pretty much complete – now it’s all about staying healthy and keeping the legs fresh before the start of the race."

“To put the focus on either resting up or training more – well, it’s difficult to find balance between them. In my case and in hindsight, I think that it was more important to get some rest and recover well before starting taking on serious training. Those three, four weeks were enough time to put on some good mileage between the two races.”

The Colombian is going over every detail in his attempt to win the Tour de France, after coming second in 2013 and 2015 and third in 2016.

Quintana climbed some of the well known iconic Alpine climbs of the Croix de Fer (HC) from the Col du Glandon and the duo of the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier (HC).

Featuring in Stage 17 on July 19th, the brutal stage features four big hitters, all one after the other.

From La Mure the 183 km stage to Serre-Chevalier, tackles the Col d'Ornon, onto the Col de la Croix de Fer (HC) via the Col du Glandon and then onto the duo of the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier (HC). The Col du Galibier is one of the highest paved roads in Europe and first featured in the Tour de France in 1911. Col du Galibier is 2,645 metres (8,678 ft) high and the the ninth highest paved road in the Alps and the sixth highest mountain pass. It is often the highest point of the Tour de France.

On the south side of the climb is a monument to Henri Desgrange, instigator and first director of the Tour de France. The memorial was inaugurated when the tour passed on 19 July 1949. Whenever the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, a wreath is laid on the memorial. The "Souvenir Henri Desgrange" is awarded to the first rider across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour. In 2006, the prize of 5,000 euros was claimed on the Col du Galibier by Michael Rasmussen.

If that wasn't bad the next day on Stage 18, July 20th sees the peloton tackle the first category Col de Vars before the mountain top finish on the top of Col d'Izoard.

Amateur riders with tackle this stage in the hugely popular Etape du Tour. The 2017 edition of the Etape du Tour will take place on Sunday July 16 on the route for stage 18 of the Tour de France – concluding with the first-ever summit finish on the Col d’Izoard. The Etape du Tour, which first took place in 1993, sees Gran Fondo and Sportive riders worldwide take on a stage of the Tour de France  with over 15,000 amateur cyclists are expected to take part.

Quintana also rode the final ITT which features on Stage 20 on July 22nd. The 22.5 km time trial could affect the overall GC with stronger GC time trialists using the stage to close or open up gaps. This is pretty much the last opportunity as the final stage into Paris looms, with the only batlle being the final sprint to the finish line on the Champs-Elysées.