Quintana started his 2015 season at the Tour de San Luis, finishing third overall. Quintana was originally scheduled to ride the Vuelta a Andalucía, but a crash at the Colombian National Road Race Championships caused his withdrawal. His next race was therefore the Tirreno-Adriatico, where he took his first win of the 2015 season, in a snow blizzard on the summit finish at Monte Terminillo, taking over the race lead as well. He would not relinquish the lead over the final time trial and went on to win the overall as well as the young rider jersey. Quintana was selected by his team for two cobbled classics - E3 Harelbeke and Dwars door Vlaanderen - in order to prepare him for the cobblestones that had been scheduled to be part of the Tour de France. Quintana continued his Tour de France preparation by racing the Tour de Romandie and the Tour of the Basque Country, finishing in 8th and 4th respectively. He then raced the Route du Sud where he battled Alberto Contador on stage 3 before finishing 2nd overall. Quintana then stayed home to train in June further before coming to France for the Tour.