"It’s not like your career is over at 29 by any means" - Hugh Carthy believes he still has what it takes to repeat his 2020 Vuelta podium

2020 was a big year for Hugh Carthy who suddenly found himself at top of the cycling world after landing third overall at the Vuelta a Espana. For then 26-year-old American it was a huge leap forward and an accomplishment he's yet to repeat now, four years later. Illnesses and dealing with pressure held back the tall climber recently, but now he seems back on track to his best self, he states.

"Every now and again I have some good results," Carthy tells CyclingWeekly, "but I want some more consistency. I’m getting better, knowing more about myself, my training, what works. It’s all on track. The sport has changed, but not drastically, and there are still experienced riders doing alright. It’s not like your career is over at 29 by any means."

Asked what his ceiling could be, Carthy responds that "what I did in the Vuelta a few years ago is up there. If I can do that, or be close to that again, then I’ll be happy, satisfied. But it’s a tough world, it’s competitive from top to bottom, so you have to be grateful for whatever you can get."

"When you look at that stage of the Angliru in the Vuelta, he dropped some of the best climbers in the world straight off his wheel, and he’s done that on other occasions," sports director Tejay Van Garderen adds. "Pure numbers, pure physicality-wise, he’s right there with the best."