"Every year it’s more difficult to win" - Richard Carapaz ends weeks-long pursuit for Tour de France stage win
Cycling
Richard Carapaz finally found the reward he had been chasing since the start of the 2026 Tour de France. The Ecuadorian claimed stage 18 in Orcières-Merlette after an impeccable display. The EF Education-EasyPost leader read a chaotic day to perfection from the flag drop, slipped into the decisive break and finished the job with a devastating acceleration on the final climb to take one of the most prestigious wins of this edition.
Carapaz' second stage win at the Tour de France
It was no stroke of luck. Carapaz had been hunting it for weeks with persistence. He had tried his hand in several breakaways, attacked repeatedly and, although the legs responded, the outcome had always eluded him. This time everything went to plan.
The Ecuadorian was part of the day's breakaway, sneaking into a group of high quality. There were many attacks and splits throughout the day but the EF Education-EasyPost rider consistently had the legs to close down the gaps and enter the ascent to Orcières-Merlette in the head of the race.
Despite the opposition of the likes of Valentin Paret-Peintre, Matteo Jorgenson and Mauro Schmid, he was able to make the winning difference halfway up the final climb.
“Winning again here at the Tour is something that has cost us a lot,” he admitted emotionally after crossing the line. “It’s a beautiful stage and I dedicate it to my family. The most gratifying thing is knowing that all the work I do can be rewarded with a victory like this.”
Carapaz at the 2026 Tour de France
Read also
The race rewards the most attacking rider
“I was very attentive to the splits. When that attack went with three riders, I understood it could be the right move. We made it into the front group and I think that was the key to the stage,” he explained.
Once the break was established, Carapaz avoided wasting unnecessary energy. He knew the terrain perfectly and that the climb to Orcières-Merlette was the ideal stage to play his cards. He waited patiently while his rivals tried to harden the race and, when the decisive moment came, he launched two accelerations before finding the one that stuck.
“I knew it was a climb that suited me very well. I waited for my moment, tried a couple of times and in the end being able to enjoy the victory was the most beautiful thing,” he said.
The Olympic champion compared this triumph with the one he took at the 2024 Tour and stressed that each win is harder to secure. “Every year it’s more difficult to win, but that’s exactly why the reward tastes even better,” he noted.
The success is also a huge boost for EF Education-EasyPost, a team that had made breakaways its prime objective over the last two weeks. Carapaz highlighted the collective effort and the confidence with which they approached the day.
“We knew what we came for and we knew we had the riders to do it. Today was a very special day for us. We had spent almost two weeks chasing a win and being able to get it for me and for the whole team makes us very happy," he concluded.
Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
Loading
2 Comments