"When I attacked I knew I was the strongest" - Richard Carapaz up to 3rd overall after brilliant long range attack on stage 9 at La Vuelta

After his impressive final week at the Tour de France earlier this summer, where he won the King of the Mountains, Richard Carapaz hadn't starred as expected in the early stages of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. On stage 9 however, the Ecuadorian was at his brilliant best.

Attacking from the peloton very early in the day, the former Olympic champion immediately gained a big gap and although he caught all the breakaway bar Adam Yates, finishing 2nd on the stage, Carapaz was arguably the big winner on the day, moving up to 3rd overall due to gaining around 2 minutes on the likes of Ben O'Connor, Primoz Roglic and Enric Mas.

"I knew it was going to be a tough day. I felt good today. We had to play our cards early because I was obviously far up in the GC," the EF Education-EasyPost leader reflects in his post-stage interview afterwards to Eurosport. "I tried and in the end it worked out really well. Fantastic to end it like this with a second place."

With the breakaway already more than four minutes up the road by the time he attacked, Carapaz admits that the stage win wasn't his initial thoughts with the move. "I already knew it would be difficult, but I trusted in my preparation and my training. I had to be patient and that's what I did today. It went well, and when I attacked I knew I was the strongest," he concludes. "We have done a fantastic job and I will see where I end up. There are still many tough stages to come."

As mentioned, Carapaz is now up to 3rd overall in the general classification, 4:32 down on O'Connor, but just 39 seconds off Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe leader and second overall, Primoz Roglic.