Richard Carapaz: "The intention was to make the race hard, and we did it"

With the first week of the Giro d'Italia concluded, Richard Carapaz has found himself in a strong position after several big names are no longer in contention for the race win, and he has shown good form on the ascent to Blockhaus.

"The sensations ae good. I finish the first week of this Giro and it is very important that I stay in front. However there is much still to race. With the team the intention was to make the race hard, and we did it," Carapaz said after the ninth stage of the race.

INEOS Grenadiers took responsibility of the stage once again, and set the pace up the final climb with the intentions of launching Richard Carapaz onto an attack. He made a move with around three kilometers to go, matched by Mikel Landa and Romain Bardet. Despite the collaboration, they didn't manage to stay clear of the remaining members of the chasing group, and Carapaz finished third in the stage to take four bonus seconds.

"Sometimes you win sometimes you loose," the Ecuadorian argues. However it would be hard to call it a loss, as Simon Yates pulled out of contention for the overall classification - aswell as Wilco Kelderman and Giulio Ciccone who were expected to ride with the best.