After Jhonatan Narváez, Richard Carapaz also forced to miss World Championships, leaving Ecuador empty handed
Cycling
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.
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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."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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