Ecuador's Richard Carapaz emerges from shadows to secure historic Giro d'Italia victory

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  • In a city synonymous with Romeo and Juliet, there were no late dramas or tragedies for Ecuador’s Giro d’Italia champion Richard Carapaz.

    The 26-year-old hunched over his handle bars and shook his fists to the warm Italian sky as he rode into Verona’s ancient Roman Arena to seal his first ever Grand Tour victory.

    It’s been a gruelling journey, one which has taken him from riding a bike without tyres in the Andes to dominating the Alps and Dolomites of Italy.

    His 36th-placed finish in the final stage time-trial was enough to become the first Ecuadorian to secure one of sport’s three major tours – outside of the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana.

    The man, who hails from Tulcan, nearly 3,000 metres above sea level in northern Ecuador near the border with Colombia, was utterly dominant in the second half of this year’s race, securing the maglia rosa in just his third season as a professional rider.

    It was a significant victory for the Team Movistar rider and for Latin American cycling. Back in his native country, president Lenin Morena made sure the stage was available for all to watch on free-to-air television so they could take in this historic triumph. One that many will never forget.

    Carapaz’s Giro victory is among the most famous in the country’s sporting history, alongside Andres Gomez’s French Open win of 1990 and Liga de Quito’s Copa Libertadores triumph of 2008.

    But, three weeks ago on the start line in Bologna, Carapaz wasn’t even being touted as one of the pre-race favourites. He was meant to be a support rider for team-mate Mikel Landa. And just when things started to go well for him in the race, other issues took centre stage.

    When he powered to victory on Stage 4 in Frascati, his win was overshadowed by the crash of Tom Dumoulin, one of the men expected to be standing on the podium come the final day.

    Then on Stage 13, when he gained considerable time on the first mountain test at Ceresole Reale, Vincenzo Nibali and Primoz Roglic milked the limelight after finishing nearly three minutes behind stage winner Ilnur Zakarin.

    The following day, when he soloed to victory on the toughest climb of the race at Courmayeur and slotted on the pink jersey, he struggled to generate any attention again as the news cycle was dominated by Nibali and Roglic’s first bumps.

    For two weeks, the diamond of this year’s race was hiding in plain sight, but Carapaz finally emerged from the shadows and came into focus in the final week. On the road to Como and Mortirolo, he was indestructible, even in the face of Nibali’s attacks, holding firm when the pressure was on.

    And after safely coming through Saturday’s final mountain stage to Monte Avena, he began the final time-trial as the champion-elect, sprinting home in 36th to clinch overall victory.

    It may have been a Giro short of thrills, but for Carapaz to ride into a setting like the Roman Arena at the end of the time-trial, knowing he was the champion, it was close to perfection.

    He’s an incredible climber with a team equal to him. He rode magnificently throughout the race, stayed in contention and delivered the killer blows when Roglic and Nibali narrowly faded in the Alps.

    With his Movistar contract set to expire at the end of the season, rumours are circulating around the peloton about a potential switch to Team Ineos.

    It remains to be seen if he opts for a lucrative move, but with Geraint Thomas and Froome the leading figures at cycling’s most successful team, it would be a waste of talent for him to play second or third fiddle.

    The salary may be tempting, but renewing his terms at Movistar would allow him to compete alongside Landa and target more Grand Tour success.

    If he does renew his deal, he will lead a strong team at the Vuelta a Espana later in the year – a race he should certainly be bidding for victory in.

    For now, as the shadows lengthen over Verona, the in-form Carapaz is one of the men to beat as the season moves forward.

    The stage is set for the 26-year-old to script his own narrative, and this time as the leading man.

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