Nairo Quintana appeared to stir up his rivalry with Chris Froome ahead of the Tour de France after the defending champion was booed by French crowds on Thursday night.
Team Sky’s Froome got a hostile reception at the official team presentation in La Roche-sur-Yon but on Friday Quintana expressed only so much sympathy.
“It’s not pleasant, it is not good for our sport,” he said. “We hope that people will avoid doing it. But sometimes you reap what you sow.”
On Monday, Froome was cleared of wrongdoing in the salbutamol case which has hung over him since his victory in the Vuelta a Espana last September, becoming public by means of a leak in December.
However, the minds of many fans had long been made up about the four-time Tour winner, who goes into this year’s race holding all three Grand Tour jerseys and seeking to become the first man to do the Giro-Tour double since Marco Pantani in 1998.
Movistar’s Quintana, who finished second to Froome in the 2013 and 2015 Tours and was third in 2016, is chief among those trying to stop that happening.
However, he said it was good for the race that Froome will be taking part – with organiser ASO dropping its attempt to block him from starting once the UCI announced its decision on Monday.
“For us it is neither better nor worse,” he said. “We always do our race and preparation, and there will always be a rival to fight with. It’s better he is here and his situation has been resolved. Now we all move forward.”
Quintana is part of a three-pronged attack from Movistar, who also have Alejandro Valverde and Mikel Landa eyeing the General Classification title.
Landa was part of the Sky team that helped Froome win the title here 12 months ago before leaving in search of his own opportunities.
Asked about the booing of Froome, Landa said: “It’s sad, I would not like to be whistled. There is more and more rivalry and these extremes are reached. In this age of social networks people love you more and some people hate you more.”
