This has to be one of the best photos of the 2013 Tour: Nairo Quintana at the finish on the Ventoux. Nairo gives very little away when he climbs but as he crossed the line his head dropped and the lights went out. He later admitted having gone too early again. Before that, on the slopes of the Giant of Provence, he knew he was going to win. Then he was caught, then dropped, then he regained Froome’s wheel. Finally he was dropped a second time, towards the summit. There was no fighting back to Froome’s wheel, only the need to race on, as fast as possible.
His soigneur drapes a fresh long sleeve jersey on his shoulders, a bottle of pink spanish recovery fluid awaits. Nairo’s left hand lies open by his leg. His head hangs with exhaustion and disappointment. This soigneur has to do his magic now as Quintana has left it all on the Ventoux.
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Nairo is a fun rider to watch. He's very well rounded for a young grimpeur.
@Nate
And I suspect we'll be watching him for quite some time now.
Bruised, battered, and scarred but hard.
I admire his composure.
He has illuminated the last few days. What a great race face. He's a huge talent that I hope we will be watching through a long career. I think his salary may be a little larger next year.
Second best photo of le Tour.
Agree with you all. He's been at all the right places and kept his cool, racing maturity beyond his years (like I would fucking know). He deserves the podium but that would mess with my VSP.
Wouldn't Quinoa Quintana be a great name for his kid?
that is one hell of a great photo ...
Great job on rules 17, 27,28, 33,39,42,50,53,61
I also expect that 5,11,20 and 70 were all heavily in play along the way maybe a few others I missed..
@TBONE
If only the next two frames were available.
Gianni, I do like this photo too, no need to explain the reasons, but there something in the photos of this Tour in general (riders and tifosi) that leave me some doubts.
It seems to me (I could be wrong) that the spectacularization of the Tour is going out of control, what we saw on the slopes of the Ventoux and the Alpe d'Huez has in my opinion little to do with cycling. All that people dressed like Super-Heroes, Borats, Vikings, E.T. completely naked are tifosi? Really?
Once, the fools that run alongside the riders were electrified by seeing beautiful champions now it's all about being filmed by the TV.
And even the riders looks much more available during and at the end of the stages, something I've never seen at the Italian races, Quintana above, Jens in an almost identical photo, Hnsen with the beer...
I think it's time for me to have a look in person at that race (wink).