Richard Carapaz doesn't put down his weapons yet ahead of a brutal stage 20: "It's the kind of racing I like"
Cycling
Richard Carapaz was on the offensive during 2026 Vuelta a Espana stage 19. The Ecuadorian attacked from the group of favourites with more than 80 kilometers to go, but his move was quickly neutralized by other GC contenders and ultimately the overall standings saw no changes ahead of the final weekend.
Thanks to a flat first half, its taken a very long time to form a breakaway on Friday. For EF Education-EasyPost, this went according to their plan with Darren Rafferty part of a group which was riding a little more than a minute ahead of the peloton which controlled the situation.
"We came off the bus with that idea," Carapaz told Eurosport. "We wanted to go for the stage. That was the plan for today, to try to control the race, but in the end it was very difficult."
Attack time
Then finally on the Puento del Viento, Carapaz unleashed his attack, looking to turn the GC situation upside down. With the help of Rafferty, the group which came together around Carapaz gained up to 20 seconds.
However the teams of riders currently on the podium, including red jersey Enric Mas did not leave Carapaz any breathing room and the attack was soon over. "On the second climb I tried to close the gap, but it was very difficult," Carapaz said. "We tried. I think we raced very positively today."
The race is not over
Then the final ascent to Peñas Blancas came, however the top-5 of the general classification neutralized each other and ultimately crossed the finish line together, more than five minutes behind stage winner. This leaves Carapaz in 4th position, more than two minutes behind Felix Gall, with only one more chance to turn the situation around.
"I have nothing to prove," Carapaz argued, looking back at his two Tour de France stage wins and a polka dot jersey.
Richard Carapaz wins at the 2026 Tour de France
Still, the Ecuadorian is optimistic that there will be something possible on the race's final mountain test. The 186-kilometer stage with four consecutive ascents, culminating atop special category Collado del Alguacil could catch any rider off-guard. And Carapaz hopes to prevail in this test of endurance and tenacity.
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"Tomorrow is a different stage," he noted. "There are more climbs one after another, which is the kind of racing I like."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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