Richard Carapaz was one of the dark horses coming into this Giro d'Italia and he has certainly showed that this Wednesday afternoon. EF Education-EasyPost don't have the team to put UAE under a lot of pressure, but the Ecuadorian has launched a warning shot to his rivals both with his legs and his words.
“It was a very difficult stage. On the first climb, so many men were suffering, then I knew I had great legs," Carapaz admits in a post-race interview. It was then planned with the team that there would eventually be an attack, and luckily for the American team, Lidl-Trek did a whole heap of work to reel in the breakaway.
"Then it was just a matter of waiting for the moment to attack". This happened with 9 kilometers to go, close to the bottom of the final climb, and he took advantage of the doubts in his rival's minds to respond. It was an explosive attack with no-one in the wheel, which he took full advantage of.
"I chose the right moment and luckily I was able to hold on until the finish. It was almost a time trial until the finish.” This then saw him build a 30-second gap, which came down to 10 at the finish line, but nevertheless enough to climb three positions in the overall classification.
“I want to dedicate the victory to my son, who is celebrating his birthday, and my wife. I hope they enjoyed what I did today". Certainly, it is a day of celebration for the American team that hasn't been having the easiest season.
He is now 1:56 minutes away from the pink jersey of Isaac del Toro, to whom he launched a warning for the upcoming mountain stages: "And I don’t plan on taking it easy, I’m going to keep fighting until the end of the Giro.”
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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.
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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)...
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- 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
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
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- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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