"It could turn out that they aren’t good enough" - EF DS believes Richard Carapaz can take advantage of Roglic & Ayuso focusing on each other at 2025 Giro d'Italia

Although perhaps not among the biggest favourites for the Maglia Rosa at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, Richard Carapaz knows exactly what it takes to leave the Italian Grand Tour win the win. In fact, EF Education-EasyPost sports director Matti Breschel believes his team leader might actually be able to take advantage of his underdog status.

“He’s prepared optimally, and everything has gone smoothly. Since Catalunya, he’s been at a high-altitude training camp, and he also had a small training camp on the flatlands," explains the former Vuelta a Espana stage winner in conversation with Feltet.dk, clearly confident about the level of Carapaz as he aims for a second Grand Tour win of his career. “The numbers are really good, and he seems happy, ready, and motivated.”

There was some expected time loss for Carapaz on the stage 2 time trial against the two main favourites Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso, but given that the former Olympic champion limited his losses well, the difference isn't quite as high as some feared. “We’re going in with heads held high, and the goal is not only to elevate Carapaz but the whole team, as he’s likely to lose some time along the way," Breschel says. “We’re also realistic and completely humble, and we’ll just have to see as we go along. But the ambition is damn well to win the race.”

And as mentioned, Breschel is hopeful Carapaz can take advantage of his underdog status. “There are teams coming with Ayuso and Roglic, and those teams will face off against each other and have to prove how strong they really are. Then, you can hope that they crack along the way,” explains the Dane. "It could turn out that they aren’t good enough. I know that trees don’t grow to the sky. But we know he can go the distance, and he knows what it takes, and he’s a truly talented rider who’s done it before.”