Quintana to ride Giro ahead of Tour de France

Madrid - Two-time Grand Tour winner Nairo Quintana will tackle the Giro d'Italia in May before going for a first Tour de France triumph in July, the Colombian's Movistar team confirmed on Thursday.

Quintana has made the podium in all three of his previous Tours, but was beaten into second by Britain's Chris Froome in 2013 and 2015 before finishing third last year.

"Quintana will for the first time take on the Giro-Tour double, repeating his annual presence in two of the Grand Tours," Movistar said in a statement.

Quintana, won the Giro in his only previous participation in the race in 2014 and backed up that win by claiming his second Grand Tour at last year's Vuelta a Espana.

His early season programme will see Quintana participate in next week's Challenge Mallorca, the Tour of Valencia, Abu Dhabi Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of Asturias before the Giro begins on May 5.

Movistar's other big name rider Alejandro Valverde will skip the Giro to take on the Tour-Vuelta double instead after the Ardennes classics in the spring.