Carapaz jubilates (for different reasons) after fine Giro victory, but remains focused: 'The goal is in the last week'

Carapaz rode the worst time trial of all GC contenders, aside from the injured Egan Bernal, so the hunger for redemption was high. His win gave him a massive boost in confidence. “This is incredible for me and for the team,” he said in his post-stage flash interview. “I had the belief today and my team has worked every single day for this. It’s a very special victory, not just for the team but for my whole career.”

The Giro d’Italia holds a special place in the heart of the EF Education-EasyPost leader. He won the race in 2019 and finished second in 2022 behind Jai Hindley. That made this his first win of the season all the more meaningful. “I kept reminding myself that I hadn’t raced the Giro in three years. Now I had the legs and I want to take every opportunity in the days to come,” he said.

According to sports director Matti Breschel, it was the racer in Carapaz that rose to the occasion. “Without good legs he couldn’t have won. What he showed today was a very high level. More than anything, it proves he’s a fighter and he knows how to race. It came down to reading the moment and trusting his instinct. We had a plan but this was a day to adapt to the race. Whether from the break or with Richie, we wanted the stage win. In the end we read the race perfectly.”

It looked like a day made for the breakaway, but thanks to relentless chasing by UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Lidl-Trek, the leash was kept short. “Today was a tough day for everyone, including the GC guys. But I felt I had the legs. I gave it one go, and I knew that was the moment. Now I’ll enjoy this, and then the third week is going to be brutal. There are a lot of mountains coming up, and that’s where the real opportunity lies for me and the team. That’s the goal,” Carapaz told Cycling Pro.

Carapaz’s season had been anything but smooth so far, but on the birthday of both his wife and son, everything finally came together. “It’s very special for me because I’ve had to train a lot from home,” he said in the mixed zone. “That’s why it means so much to come back like this. My family sacrifices a lot and they know how hard it is for me to be away. I hope they enjoyed this one.”

You could call it an emotional rollercoaster. After a poor time trial on Tuesday, Carapaz was visibly frustrated, admitted sports director Matti Breschel. “He was really disappointed after the time trial. But that kind of moment gives you two choices: spiral down or fight back. He channeled that frustration into something positive, and honestly, without that tough day against the clock, he probably wouldn’t have won this stage.”

Richard Carapaz’s stage win might just be the start of something bigger. The 31-year-old climbing specialist was one of the few riders bold enough to say out loud that he came to the Giro to win it. To pull that off, he still needs to make up at least 1:56 on UAE’s Isaac Del Toro, but sports director Matti Breschel believes it’s possible. Is a comeback brewing? “The gap isn’t ideal, but I’m in my fifth year as a DS now and Richard is the biggest talent I’ve ever worked with.”

“He’s proven he can win a Grand Tour and he knows what it takes. On top of that, he brings experience against a very young UAE squad,” Breschel added. That doesn’t mean they’ll start launching reckless attacks. “We’re not going to do anything stupid and throw away the GC by attacking blindly. We’ll aim to chip away time day by day. After today’s win, Richard will have the belief to go for more.”

“Before the Giro started, his goal was to win it again,” Breschel confirmed. “He didn’t come here for a top ten. But things have to fall into place. He has the legs and the mindset, and with Richard, you just never know. He’s that talented, and he’s shown before he can do it. Richard isn’t afraid to speak his ambitions, but anyone can say the words. He also has the ability to back them up, and that says everything about his character. He doesn’t talk much on the team bus, but when he does, everyone listens.”