Instead, he says, many come up through a network of cycling leagues and clubs that train on three rugged Andean ranges — something that has helped Colombia become Latin America’s cycling superpower.

The cycling federation headquarters attest to this rich history, with black-and-white wall photos of greats like Luis Herrera, known as “Lucho,” who in 1984 became the first Colombian to win a stage in the Tour de France and was the first to win the Vuelta a España three years later. Herrera, Quintana and other mountain specialists are known here as “escarabajos,” or “beetles,” for their doggedness in grinding their way up hills.

González said his organization provided bikes and equipment to up-and-coming escarabajos, showcasing them at major races where they are courted by European pro teams. He recalled personally escorting a nervous Quintana to the 2011 World Championships in Copenhagen. Back then, he said: “Nairo was just a 21-year-old kid. He was clueless. He didn’t talk at all.”

González, who has held top positions at the cycling federation for two decades, questioned Quintana’s motives for speaking out, noting that the heads of the country’s cycling leagues re-elected him to his post in January over a candidate backed by Quintana.

“This is all about politics, not sports,” González said.

Still, the criticism comes from a broad range of cyclists and close followers of the sport.

Support for racers is supposed to come from the cycling federation’s network of leagues and clubs. But many have fallen on hard times because of a lack of funding and allegations of mismanagement and corruption. Victor Hugo Peña, a retired Colombian cyclist who is an ESPN race analyst, said that only a handful of the two dozen cycling clubs in and around Bogotá, the capital, train riders and send them to races.