Carapaz delivers another prize to EF Education-EasyPost at the very last minute

Richard Carapaz has been one of the standout riders of this Tour de France. The Ecuadorian rider from EF Education-EasyPost won two stages in the final week and also secured the polka-dot jersey as the best climber. But the celebration isn’t over yet, as he has been rewarded for his relentless attacking spirit with the award for the Tour’s most combative rider.

On Saturday, the Tour de France organisers announced the shortlist of contenders. Eleven names appear on that list: in addition to Carapaz, they include Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost), Egan Bernal (Netcompany INEOS), Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Pablo Castrillo (Movistar), Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), and Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché).

Fans could vote via X, but there was also a panel of experts, making it a combined process. It was a very close race among viewers, but Pedersen received the most votes, just ahead of Veistroffer. Carapaz came in third. Thanks to his attacking style, Pedersen managed to win a stage and claim the green jersey, while Veistroffer was particularly active in the flat stages and was almost always the first to attack.

Although Carapaz was unable to secure enough votes from the public, the jury’s decision was the deciding factor. This marks the second time the climber has won the award: in 2024, he also won a stage and the mountains jersey, and was named the most combative rider. This year, he earned the award thanks to an incredible final week: he was at the front in the last three Alpine stages, finishing first twice and third once.

It’s that time again for EF Education-EasyPost: this is the third year in a row that the American team has taken home the prize. In 2024, it was Carapaz, but in 2025, Ben Healy earned the Most Aggressive Rider award after winning a stage, wearing the yellow jersey for a long time, and finishing ninth in Paris. Other recent winners include Wout van Aert, Victor Campenaerts, and Julian Alaphilippe.