Alcare Samsic's Nairo Quintana believes that the two individual time trials on the route of the 2021 Tour de France (announced in Paris on Sunday evening by race director Christian Prudhomme) will be decisive and that the clock He said he would work hard to improve his ability to ...

"We must be as prepared as possible for the two TT stages," Quintana told Le Télégramme. These stages (5 and 20) will be just as important for the overall classification as the mountain stages."

The 30-year-old chose stage 11, which climbs Mont Ventoux twice, as one of the most important mountain stages of the coming year.

"It's a climb I love and of course I've had success on it. Like other summit finishes in the Alps and Pyrenees, it will no doubt play a major role in shaping next year's Tour."

Quintana won the third stage of this year's Tour de la Provence, finishing at Le Chalet Lunard (two-thirds of the way up Ventoux, where the climb from the Sous and the climb from the Bedouin converge). Next year's Tour de France will be a two stage climb of the Ventoux on stage 11, crossing the summit to finish in Marocaine.

"I hope to be at 100% for next year's Tour with a strong team in Arkea-Samsic.

Quintana is currently recovering from cartilage surgery on both knees, having been hit by a car while training for this year's Tour, injuring his right knee, and then damaging his left knee in a crash during the race.

"I am working hard with my physical therapist to prepare for the 2021 season. My goal for next year at the Tour is to finish on the podium and in the overall classification."

"But next year is a new opportunity for me and I am hoping that 2021 will be a better season physically.