Quintana announced his retirement in March, expecting the Vuelta to be his last race for the only team that mattered most to his farewell. Movistar Team's omission from its eight-rider squad forced a rewrite: he now closes his career leading the full Colombian squad at the Road World Championships 2026, on a Montréal course with sixteen ascents of Camillien Houde and 4,304 metres of climbing. A trade team snub turned into a national send-off.