Carapaz blasts into second Vuelta win as he "ended up in the right breakaway"

Richard Carapaz started the Vuelta a Espana with the goal of taking the red jersey into Madrid, but after a very difficult first week that ambition was no longer possible. Having bounced back however, he found himself taking back-to-back wins in the race's mountainous stages.

“The plan this morning was to go for the stage win again. We had to make sure we got into the break of the day, but that was very difficult. 70 kilometers were ridden at full speed. I'm glad I ended up in the right breakaway," Carapaz said. After making it into the right move on stage 12 and winning, his ambition was just as high for today's summit finish at Sierra de la Pandera. He managed to once again drop his whole breakaway group on the long final ascent, but his challenge came from the GC riders instead.

“I know the climb well. We worked well together and I went at the right time," he described. The Ecuadorian attacked and went solo as the climb's steepest section began and quickly isolated himself. However with the surge of Primoz Roglic and Miguel Ángel López, he was at risk of missing out. The gap was small, but the INEOS Grenadiers just barely managed to resist and take his second win. He's moved into second place in the KOM classification too, but has above all seen his race compensated after an underhelming start.

“It is important that I have regained my morale," he said. However, the ambitions are not yet over for the Ecuadorian. "I'll just try again tomorrow. I lived near Sierra Nevada for a few years, so I know it there too.”