04/10/2023

Richard Carapaz the EF Education-EasyPost leader for Il Lombardia: "I’m close to my best"

Richard Carapaz, the outstanding Ecuadorian cyclist, is ready to take on the prestigious Il Lombardia with a renewed sense of determination and confidence. After a challenging start to the season with the EF Education-EasyPost team, Carapaz has proven to be at the top of his game again.

The 30-year-old cyclist makes no secret of his ambitions regarding "Il Lombardia" and is ready to bet high. "It has been a difficult season for me. It has not been my year. It was a very strange one. Since the beginning of the season, there was always something off, but now I’m finally ‘seeing sunlight again.’ Recently, I’ve been feeling very good. I’m close to my best," Carapaz revealed in a press release issued by his team.

Preliminary startlist Il Lombardia 2023 with Pogacar, Roglic, Evenepoel, Yates, Mas, Landa and Carapaz

"These days in Italy, I’ve been in great shape and that is something that strengthens me and my head. I want to be in the game at Lombardia. We have a team that knows what I want, and I’ve shared my confidence with them that I feel fresh, with good legs, and it’s something they have seen in the last weeks. Lombardia is Lombardia, and we’re here to go all or nothing," said the reigning Olympic champion. "Only one rider will lift his hands in the air, but I know that I can be the one. That’s my personal objective."

With this, Carapaz stands as the undisputed leader of the EF Education-EasyPost team, although the American formation has several aces up its sleeve, including Ben Healy, Esteban Chaves and Rigoberto Urán. Chaves has already been crowned champion of the Tour of Lombardy in 2016, while Urán has been on the podium three times (in 2008, 2012 and 2016). Mikkel Honoré, Andrea Piccolo and Jonathan Caicedo complete the outstanding selection.