Richard Carapaz could skip Giro d'Italia - Entire 2025 Corsa Rosa podium potentially absent as EF Education leader feeling effects of a recent surgery

The Giro d'Italia is losing several of its candidates at a fast pace. After the confirmed of withdrawal of João Almeida, perhaps Jonas Vingegaard's biggest potential rival for the Corsa Rosa, it seems very likely that the only rider who finished on the podium last year who was going to take to the start of the race - Richard Carapaz - is also set to withdraw from the race.

With Simon Yates retiring from the sport and Isaac del Toro focusing on the Tour de France, Carapaz was the only member of the 2025 podium set to make a return to the Corsa Rosa. The first part of his build-up has been based around this goal, with a steady increase of form throughout the spring, which included Tirreno-Adriatico and the Volta a Catalunya. He was 10th in the latter, before returning to Ecuador where the plan was always to have an extended altitude camp before coming back to Europe for the Giro.

However his health situation deteriorated, and he underwent a surgery only days after Catalunya. “It wasn’t part of the plan, but it was handled in the best possible way. Last night I underwent a procedure for a perineal condition," he said in the start of April. "Everything went as expected and successfully. From today, I’m fully focused on recovery and getting back to my best level ahead of the Giro".

Carapaz has not been sidelined officially and is not injured, however there are valid questions on his current form and Belgian news outlet Het Laatste Nieuws has reported that there is considerable uncertainty for his participation. A three-week race is also a tough demand on the body and the decision to commit to it could jeopardize his plans to race the Tour de France at his best level, if in the Giro he would not succeed.

The Giro d'Italia begins on Friday the 8th of May in the city of Nessebar, Bulgaria. The race will spend three days in the eastern European nation before returning to Italy; where the route will be marked by the ascents of the Blockhaus, Piancavallo; as well as a long 40-kilometer time trial and decisive stages in both the Valle d'Aosta and Dolomites.