After learning his lesson, Quintana delivers

The diminutive, swarthy-faced Colombian climber surpassed expectations with a brilliant three-week display to secure second place overall in the Tour, and he went one step higher on Sunday by winning the Giro d'Italia on his first attempt.

He became the second Colombian rider to win a grand tour after Luis Herrera claimed the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) in 1987.

Quintana, 24, reached the finish in Trieste having won two stages and wrapped it up with an overall lead of 2:58 over compatriot Rigoberto Uran.

He held off his rivals in the final mountain stage up the intimidating Monte Zoncolan, a 10.1-km ride at an average gradient of 11.9 per cent.

Nothing intimidating for a rider who would descend 16-km every day to go to school on a 20-kilogram mountain bike.

"And I had to come back every evening," he says.

He caught the eye of Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue when, aged 20, he won the Tour de l'Avenir - a prestigious race for young riders.

Unzue was looking for Colombian riders for his Spain-based team.

"Finding a Colombian rider who climbs well is easy," said Unzue, referring to the 'Beetles', the Colombian climbers of the 1980s.

"But finding one who climbs well and who is also a good time-trialist is more rare."

Quintana, however, is not just a physically talented rider.

He is also a clever one.

"The other thing that struck me is his character," said Unzue.

"He's got a lot of self-confidence and he analyses a race very well. When you listen to him debrief his day, you understand right away that he is not just a fast rider."

Quintana's face rarely shows the pain the rider feels, making it hard for his rivals to read his emotions.

One thing that can make them happy, though, is that Quintana is skipping the Tour de France this year.