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.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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💪 Just a perfect day in the break from @RichardCarapazM #LaVuelta22
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