Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) was reported to suffer no serious injuries on Friday, when he was struck by a car while training in Motavita, Colombia.
‘Nairoman’ declined to visit a hospital, instead opting to return home to be treated by his personal physician for some scratches on his elbow, and some knee pain.
The mayor of the town where Quintana was struck, Mery Mozo, was on site when police and emergency vehicles showed up to attend to the national hero.
Witnesses to the crash tweeted that he was ‘OK’ but appeared to be slightly shaken up, after being struck by a car that was performing ‘improper maneuvers.’
#AEstaHora📍|| El ciclista Boyacense @NairoQuinCo sufre un accidente en la vía nacional sector vereda Salvial de #Motavita, un conductor realiza maniobra indebida y lo colisiona mientras realiza su tradicional entrenamiento. La alcaldesa Mery Mozo acude para atender la emergencia pic.twitter.com/Gh6GH2RJ81
— Alcaldía Motavita (@AlcaMotavita) July 3, 2020
Quintana was on form early in the 2020 season, demonstrating his climbing prowess with a stunning win on Mont Ventoux at le Tour de la Provence. He also took a stage win in a shortened Paris-Nice before racing ground to halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quintana won the 2014 Giro d’Italia, and the 2017 Vuelta a España, and has been targeting the Tour with his Arkea-Samsic team.
With travel restrictions recently imposed on the Americas by European Union nations, several Colombian pros — including 2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) — are left scrambling to find ways to get across the Atlantic for the restart of the cycling season at the end of the month.