Richard Carapaz plans to join Pogačar and Pedersen at the 2026 Vuelta a España, but he has a problem: 'Significant losses'

It looks like we’ll see three of the 2026 Tour de France jersey winners in action at the 2026 Vuelta a España. Yellow Jersey winner Tadej Pogačar and Green Jersey winner Mads Pedersen have already confirmed their participation, but Polka Dot Jersey winner Richard Carapaz also appears to be gearing up to compete. The Ecuadorian had to sit out the Giro d’Italia earlier this year.

Carapaz’s participation isn’t official yet, he told Primicias. “They haven’t confirmed it yet. We wanted to go for the general classification, but we don’t have a strong team because of the many injuries; a lot of teammates are recovering,” said the EF Education-EasyPost team leader.

"Three teammates had to undergo knee surgery, and two others were injured—one during practice and another who was hit by a car," he says, referring to Harry Sweeny, Lukas Nerurkar, and Archie Ryan, among others, who are currently sidelined. “Those are significant losses. It’s very difficult to fill such a gap, especially with our small roster.”

"We'll be meeting soon to decide what my role will be in the Vuelta: going for the general classification, or—just like in the Tour—aiming for stage wins or the mountains classification. "If I don’t go to the Vuelta, I’ll still have classics and stage races in September," said Carapaz, who will also compete in the World Championships in Montreal.

The climber is still basking in the afterglow of his Tour de France. “For me, it was a dream Tour, because winning the polka-dot jersey and then winning a stage while wearing that same jersey is very special. That jersey represents a lot of who I am: a climber, a very competitive rider who has to fight for points every day. I think it really shows who I am."

Pogačar also complimented him on that several times. “Every day I spoke with him, he’d say to me, ‘You’re back again; you gave it another shot.’ I’ve earned the respect of many riders because of my unique qualities. They know what I’m capable of and what my intentions were in the Tour. I think that was crucial from the start; setting out with a goal in mind and actually achieving it—that’s what’s most special."