Richard Carapaz "really happy" with maiden Vuelta a Espana win

Richard Carapaz came with high ambitions into the Vuelta a Espana, however after the opening week they had to transform into fighting for a stage win. On his first attempt in a breakaway however, he has immediately succeeded.

"To be honest, I feel happiness, because we came here with a goal and the circumstances weren’t in our favour. We had the focus now on trying to win a stage, and I’m really happy with that," Carapaz said after the finish. The Ecuadorian had tried late in the opening week but had Remco Evenepoel himself chasing him down. However today there was no controlling a 32-rider breakaway that went up the road early on. It was all to be decided in the long ascent to Peñas Blancas, one suited to the INEOS Grenadiers rider.

The win was clearly in the breakaway, however he had to fight alongside the likes of stage winners Jay Vine and Marc Soler, Wilco Kelderman and several other climbers who had made it in front. "Bora were doing almost all the work and I waited for the last moment. I know, at 2km for the finish... knew I had one move left and I made the most out of it," he described. 

As Kelderman worked for his second place on the road and his new sixth place in the GC, Carapaz stormed off with less than two kilometers to go and had the legs to keep the advantage. Despite his success in the race in the past, this was his first Vuelta a Espana win.

Carapaz explained the events that led up to today: "I’m very happy. Mostly because the feelings I hoped for from the start are back. I have to enjoy it. I knew I wasn’t coming with the best condition after crashing at home. When we arrived in Spain after the Netherlands, we hit the mountains and it was a bit complicated for me".

"I moved on mentally to focus on a stage win. I knew I could do it in La Vuelta. Other years, I came 2nd, 3rd… It’s the first time, so I’m moved. There are still many stages to keep trying. We have to make the most of our current level," he concluded.