Does 'MVP of the day' Carapaz believe in a second Giro victory after Tuesday? "I don't intend to give up now"

He pretended to be struggling for a moment, but immediately after that, the former Giro winner put in a killer acceleration. Derek Gee, Isaac Del Toro, Simon Yates... All three could only gaze at Carapaz and his attack, after which the man from Ecuador sprinted to fourth place in the day's results. This brings him to within 31 seconds of the pink jersey and puts him in third place in the GC ahead of Wednesday's challenging 17th stage.

"Today was an important stage of the Giro," he said very calmly at the top of San Valentino on CyclingPro. "We knew it was very important for us today, and I knew I had the right legs to go for it. I found the right moment to attack and gave everything until the finish. Now, we won't stop trying until we reach Rome."

The sixteenth stage of the Giro did not go smoothly for the man from Ecuador, as he crashed earlier in the stage. With a bloody knee, he managed to get back on his bike and gained time on his opponents. "The crash was a bit stupid. It was raining, and that's part of our job. Fortunately, I wasn't injured and had the legs to try something. I struggled a bit during the day's second climb, but I recovered."

This means that a second overall victory for Carapaz still seems possible. Especially when you consider what the tough third week has in store. Does the Ecuadorian believe he can win the Giro d'Italia? "In recent years, I haven't had either my health or luck on my side," he reflected. "Today, I crashed again, but I think that was the motivation to get back up every time I crashed and try again. And I don't intend to give up now."