Richard Carapaz should race La Vuelta, but may not aim for GC - "We don't have a strong team due to the many injuries"
CyclingTuesday, 11 August 2026 at 18:30
Richard Carapaz is virtually certain to participate in the upcoming Vuelta a España. The EF Education-EasyPost rider has had a dream Tour de France and carries tremendous form; something he might put to use during the upcoming edition of the Vuelta.
Carapaz likely to return to La Vuelta
In the past, the 33-year old has raced the Spanish Grand Tour on six occasions. It is a meaningful one, as in 2017 it was his first one. He finished second in 2020, coming very close to Primoz Roglic's red jersey; whilst in 2024 he got his spark back as a Grand Tour rider - finishing fourth in what was his first successful GC run in two and a half years.
"They haven't confirmed it yet. We wanted to go for the general classification, but we don't have a strong team due to the many injuries; many teammates are recovering," Carapaz said in words to Primicias.
With the American team undergoing a difficult period in terms of the health of its riders, it might be a pebble in the shoe of the Ecuadorian, who had the goal of going for the overall classification.
"Three teammates had to undergo knee surgery, two others crashed – one during training and another was hit by a car. So those are significant losses. It is very difficult to fill such a gap, especially with our small squad".
"We are still getting together to decide what my role in the Vuelta will be: for the general classification, or, just like in the Tour, aiming for stage wins or the mountain classification".
Although he points out that his presence has not yet been decided on, and might depend on which teammates will be at the start. "If I don't go to the Vuelta, I still have classics and multi-day races in September".
Richard Carapaz at the 2026 Tour de France
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Earning the respect from Tadej Pogacar
But the truth is Carapaz may be in the form of his life. The 2019 Giro d'Italia winner has fully adapted to modern cycling's requirements and nutrition methods, and is performing amongst a generation of riders that developed under completely different circumstances.
After finishing second at the Tour de Suisse, Carapaz went into the Tour looking towards a potential GC run. He purposefully lost time in the first week after understanding he did not have the legs on the Col du Tourmalet stage. But via his breakaway antics and multiple strong performances in the mountains, he ended up climbing up the overall classification dramatically.
He moved up to 15th at Le Markstein, 12th at the Plateau de Solaison... The EF rider was not a marked man for GC and ultimately climbed from 12th to 8th in the final three mountain stages. There, he was in the breakaway on all of them, winning at Orcières-Merlette and stage 20 into Alpe d'Huez, whilst also finishing third on the full Alpe d'Huez stage on the 19th day.
Carapaz' form at the end of the Tour was brilliant and, aside from having also won the KOM classification, carried his form to finish second to Remco Evenepoel at the Clásica San Sebastián.
"For me, it has been a dream Tour, because winning the mountain jersey and then winning a stage while wearing that same jersey is very special. That jersey represents a lot of who I am: a climber, a very combative rider who has to fight for points every day. I think it really shows who I am," he explained.
He was in contact with Tadej Pogacar as well quite often, the rider who often decided the fate of the mountain stages. "Every day I spoke with him, he said to me "you're back, you tried again." I have earned the respect of many riders because of my unique qualities," Carapaz assures.
"They know what I am capable of and what my intentions were in the Tour. I think that was crucial from the start; setting out with a goal in mind and actually achieving that goal, that is the most special thing".
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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