Richard Carapaz abandons Tour podium bid and reveals dream stage target

Carapaz enters the Tour with renewed confidence after finishing second behind Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de Suisse.

The result completed a difficult return to racing for the Ecuadorian, who underwent surgery in the spring. The procedure proved more invasive than expected, forcing him to spend more than three weeks off the bike, miss the Giro d’Italia and reset his goals for the remainder of the season.

“The Tour de Suisse was very special,” Carapaz said on the Escapa Podcast. “It allowed me to find myself again and fight for a podium. It confirmed that we had prepared well. It was the best test we could have had before the Tour.”

Despite that performance, the 2019 Giro winner will not build his Tour around the overall standings.

EF Education-EasyPost has been hit by injuries to several important riders, leaving the 33-year-old without the support he believes is necessary to compete against the strongest Grand Tour teams.

“Obviously, I would love to fight for the general classification, but when I am on my own, it is impossible,” he said. “When you go to the Tour, you need everyone to be at 100 per cent. At the moment, we do not have that. We have to be realistic.”

Instead, Carapaz plans to target stage victories and the mountains classification. It is a strategy that brought him success in 2024, when he won a stage at SuperDévoluy and took home the polka dot jersey.

“I think we will try to do something similar,” he said. “We have a lot of opportunities to win stages. That is what I will focus on. The mountains jersey is also something that really motivates me.”

Carapaz may still attempt to remain close to the general classification during the opening days. He briefly wore the yellow jersey at the 2024 Tour, becoming the first Ecuadorian to lead the race, and hopes to create another opportunity in Barcelona.

The Tour begins with a 19.6 kilometre team time trial in Barcelona, finishing on Montjuïc. Riders will receive individual times, meaning team leaders will not have to wait for several teammates if the group breaks apart on the final climb.

“If I can take the yellow jersey, I will obviously try,” Carapaz said. “After that, there may be a day when we have to ease off and look at the opportunities ahead.”

Once Carapaz gives up time in the general classification, his attention will shift fully towards the mountains. While he knows that stage hunting requires flexibility, there is one finish he would particularly like to target.

Carapaz has identified Alpe d’Huez as the place where he would most like to win.

“Alpe d’Huez is a stage I really like,” he said. “It is very hard and everybody knows it. It would mean a lot to me.”

“But during the Tour everything can change. You have to be intelligent, know which breakaway to enter and take advantage of the opportunities that appear.”

Carapaz will also start the race with no doubts about the leading favourite. After competing against Pogačar in Switzerland, he believes the Slovenian is currently racing at a level beyond the rest of the peloton.

“Today, it is impossible to make Pogačar suffer,” he said. “He is far above everyone else.”

Carapaz pointed to Pogačar’s range as the clearest sign of his superiority.

“He is the only rider who can compete with Mathieu van der Poel in a Classic or at Paris Roubaix, and then win races such as Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia, Strade Bianche or the Tour.”

Even so, Carapaz is not prepared to declare the Tour over before it begins.

“Within the theory, he is clearly the biggest favourite,” Carapaz said. “But we cannot say the Tour is already decided. It is still a race and anything can happen.”

Carapaz is unlikely to feature in the battle with Pogačar over three weeks, but his Tour will not be short of ambition. He wants to wear yellow again, fight for the mountains jersey and win a stage. If he could choose the place, it would be Alpe d’Huez.