After Jhonatan Narváez, Richard Carapaz also forced to miss World Championships, leaving Ecuador empty handed

Ecuador has had a complete disaster ahead of the World Championships, with it's two big leaders being forced out of the race. After confirming a few days ago the withdrawal of Jhonatan Narvaez due to lack of form after a Covid-19 infection, now Richard Carapaz has had a family problem that has forced him to leave.

This means that two riders who could have been considered medal favorites will not start next Sunday in Winterthur. Carapaz as well will thus be left without competing for his country this year after not being selected for the last Olympic Games even though he was a gold medalist as the federation selected Narváez.

This is the statement with which Carapaz has released the news that he will not be able to race the World Championships due to a medical problem with his daughter:

"In the last few hours, I have been forced to travel to Ecuador urgently to accompany my daughter, who had to undergo emergency surgery. Fortunately, the surgery went well. However, it still requires care.

In view of this family emergency, I have not been able to train for several days and my condition is not up to what Ecuador deserves, neither physically nor mentally. For this reason, I have taken the decision not to participate in the World Championships in Zurich 2024. Representing Ecuador is one of the greatest responsibilities I have as an athlete. However, we are all human. In our sports career, there are circumstances that transcend the sport and the health of my family is my priority.

I would like to thank the Ecuadorian Cycling Federation for the confidence placed in me for the World Championships and wish all the luck in the world to my teammates. We will continue working to leave the name of the country at the top."