Nairo Quintana brought his professional career to a close on Sunday 11 October 2026 at his namesake Gran Fondo Nairo Fest, riding alongside 6,900 cycling fans from 21 countries through Cartagena and the northern Bolívar region of Colombia.
The 36-year-old, who won the Giro d’Italia in 2014 and the Vuelta a España in 2016, confirmed in March that 2026 would be his final season. His last professional race was Giro dell’Emilia on Saturday 03 October, where the peloton formed a guard of honour. He finished his professional career with 53 victories.
Joining him in Cartagena were fellow cycling stars Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Rigoberto Urán, Egan Bernal, Joaquim Rodríguez and Samuel Sánchez, rivals and teammates from the most intense years of his career.
The headline Gran Fondo route covered 186 kilometres through Turbaco, Arjona, Mahates, Soplaviento, San Estanislao, Villanueva and Santa Rosa de Lima. Medio Fondo (106 kilometres) and Retadores (50 kilometres) options allowed riders of all levels to join the celebration. With running, mountain bike and children’s events also on the programme, the festival attracted over 10,000 participants. Singer Carlos Vives, one of the best selling Latin music artists ever, closed the weekend with a concert.
Readers of Gran Fondo Daily News will know that Quintana has been building his gran fondo brand since 2022, when his Mexican edition drew more than 1,400 riders and his Colombian event attracted around 3,000. The Cartagena edition was considerably larger.
Quintana has said he intends to remain involved in cycling, with a particular interest in developing young Colombian riders.
© 2026 Copyright Gran Fondo Daily News – All Rights Reserved