Richard Carapaz aims at the Tour de France - "It's my main goal"

The new EF Education-EasyPost sign for this season, the former Grand Tour winner Richard Carapaz, made is first press conference as EF rider in the city of Quito, together with his teammates Jonathan Caicedo and Alexander Cepeda (who also is a new sign). The 29 years old Ecuadorian, who have won 2019 Giro d'Italia edition, and podium both Tour de France and Vuelta a España, revealed that for this season his main goal will be the Tour.

"This year my main objective is the Tour de France, I have a team that is backing me 100%, and we have already started to work. This objective that we have set for ourselves is in line with my characteristics. I already know what it's like to be on the podium, and this year it's important to arrive in the same or better conditions than that year."

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We have different qualities, we cannot say that they are invincible, and we are going to give a great fight with the team. The Tour has a special touch, the podium in the Champs-Élysées is one of the biggest podiums of my sporting career”, said Carapaz commenting also about Pogacar and Vingegaard the main Tour favorites which he says are not “invincible”.

The Tour is for now a bit far and Carapaz will make his season and EF Education-Easypost debut at the Ecuadorian National Road Race Championships alongside Cepeda and Caicedo. “I'm very excited to start the season at the National Championships, we have a big calendar planned in Europe, and we have a big goal planned as a team. We're dreaming big.”, sated Carapaz.

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The 29 years old GC rider will also focus on other races prior to his main goal, in particular to the Ardennes classics, who according to him suit better his characteristics as a rider." The first part (of the season) we are going to focus on Flèche, Amstel and Liège. The Ardennes classics are the ones that are good for me and where we will try to take advantage of our form to show what we can do”, he said.

This season will also have an important factor for him, his adaptation to his new team and teammates, and according to him, things seem to have being going very well, “When I was in Girona sharing with the team (in the EF camp) I felt the support and the desire to look for a common objective. I think EF needed a leader as such, and having a clear leader now is the way forward."

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"We know what we are looking for, what our ambition is as a team; we have many things that unite us (with the rest of the team), the goal is there, and we are working towards it.” stated Carapaz confidently.

His teammates Caicedo and Cepeda that will also take part on the National Road Race also gave a few words. Jonathan Caicedo the most seasoned rider of the 3 in the team, going for his 5th consecutive season with them, will participate both in time trial and road races. He also revealed that his first European competition will be on February 17, which is the date that begins the Tour of the Maritime Alps. About Carapaz he gave him “the welcome to our companion Richard, he is a leader, and we will adapt to him to obtain this great dream”.

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Meanwhile, Alexander Cepeda who is also a fresh face in the team, said that one of his goals is to earn a place on the EF roster for one of the big three. He also announced that he is a very close friend of Carapaz and Caicedo for many years, “Being the three of us together here is a huge happiness, but it has been a hard sacrifice. We are happy to be three Ecuadorians, and the most beautiful thing will be to take the name of Ecuador to the top. The most important thing is that the team wins.”, he stated.

What I have always wanted to promote is that dreams come true. We have marked a path for many of our young people, and we hope that they will follow it. It is the task of all Ecuadorians to respect not the cyclist but life."

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"The bicycle is our work tool, and we have to go on the road. Today there are many young people who are dreaming of being the next Alexander Cepeda, Jonathan Caicedo or Richard Carapaz, and they can be found on any road. Let's encourage respect for life.", ended Carapaz in the press conference, referring to the several accidents against professional and amateur cyclists in Ecuador that happened in 2022.

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