"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
Cycling
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.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Richie Carapaz attacks with 88 km to go! 😍🇪🇨 You gotta love him. #LaVuelta24
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