Richard Carapaz

2.1. Amateur Career

Carapaz began his cycling career with various amateur teams in Ecuador, Colombia, and Spain. In 2011, he rode for Panavial-Coraje Carchense, followed by RPM Ecuador in 2013 and Panavial-GAD Carchi in 2014. In 2015, he joined Strongman-Campagnolo, and in 2016, he was part of the Lizarte team. During his amateur years, he achieved notable successes, including winning the overall classification and two stages at the Vuelta de la Juventud de Colombia in 2015, and the overall classification and a stage at the Vuelta a Navarra in 2016.

2.2. Movistar Team (2016-2019)

Carapaz's transition to the professional ranks began on 28 July 2016, when he joined Movistar Team as a trainee for the remainder of the 2016 season. He officially signed as a professional rider with Movistar Team ahead of the 2017 season, becoming the first Ecuadorian cyclist to join a UCI World Tour team.

In his first full professional year in 2017, Carapaz secured second-place finishes at both the GP Industria & Artigianato and the Route du Sud, where he also won the young rider classification. He made his Grand Tour debut at the 2017 Vuelta a España, finishing 36th overall.

The 2018 season marked his breakthrough with his first professional victories. He won a stage and the overall classification at the 2018 Vuelta a Asturias. His historic moment came at the 2018 Giro d'Italia, where he won Stage 8, becoming the first Ecuadorian cyclist to win a Grand Tour stage. He also wore the Maglia Bianca (white jersey) for the young rider classification for several stages and finished an impressive fourth in the general classification. He also competed in the 2018 Vuelta a España, finishing 18th.

The pinnacle of his time with Movistar came in 2019. He once again won the 2019 Vuelta a Asturias, also securing the points classification. His most significant achievement was winning the 2019 Giro d'Italia. He took a crucial stage win on Stage 4 with a late attack and then seized the overall lead by winning Stage 14 with a dominant performance, gaining almost two minutes on his main rivals, Vincenzo Nibali and Primož Roglič. Carapaz successfully defended his lead through the challenging final week, becoming the first Ecuadorian and only the second South American (after Nairo Quintana in 2014) to win the Giro d'Italia.

2.3. Team Ineos / Ineos Grenadiers (2020-2022)

At the start of the 2020 season, Carapaz moved to Team Ineos (later renamed Ineos Grenadiers), signing a three-year deal.

His first victory with the new team came on 7 August 2020, winning Stage 3 of the 2020 Tour de Pologne with a decisive attack in the final kilometer. In the 2020 Tour de France, he finished second on both Stage 16 and Stage 18. On Stage 18, he took the lead in the mountains classification from Tadej Pogačar, though he ultimately finished second in that classification. In the 2020 Vuelta a España, Carapaz was a strong contender for the overall victory, frequently exchanging the red jersey with defending champion Primož Roglič. He held the race lead after Stages 6-9 and again after Stage 12, but eventually finished second overall after a hard-fought battle on the penultimate mountainous stage.

The 2021 season was highly successful for Carapaz. He secured his first victory of the year on 10 June, winning the mountainous Stage 5 of the 2021 Tour de Suisse. He then defended his general classification lead over the remaining stages to win the overall title by 17 seconds ahead of Rigoberto Urán. Carapaz was a key leader for Ineos Grenadiers at the 2021 Tour de France, ultimately finishing third overall after other team leaders faced early crashes. The highlight of his year was winning the gold medal in the men's individual road race at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He launched a decisive attack with 3.6 mile ^{(5.8 km)} remaining, riding solo to the finish line, more than a minute ahead of the chasing group. This victory made him the first Ecuadorian cyclist to win an Olympic medal and only the second Ecuadorian in any sport to win an Olympic gold medal. With this achievement, he became the first cyclist to win an Olympic road race gold medal and secure a podium finish in all three Grand Tours.

In 2022, Carapaz began the season with some setbacks, including a crash at the 2022 Étoile de Bessèges and a positive COVID-19 test that forced him to withdraw from the 2022 Tour de la Provence. However, he quickly rebounded, winning his first national title at the Ecuadorian National Time Trial Championships in February. He continued his strong form at the 2022 Volta a Catalunya, winning Stage 6 after a long-distance attack and finishing second in the general classification. At the 2022 Giro d'Italia, Carapaz once again demonstrated his Grand Tour prowess, finishing second overall and wearing the pink jersey for several stages. He also had a dominant performance at the 2022 Vuelta a España, winning the mountains classification and three individual stages (Stages 12, 14, and 20).

2.4. EF Education-EasyPost (2023-)

On 19 August 2022, it was announced that Carapaz would join EF Education-EasyPost from the 2023 season on a three-year contract.

In 2023, Carapaz won the Ecuadorian National Road Race Championships, securing another national title. He also claimed victory at the Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes and earned a silver medal in the time trial at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago. He also achieved second place finishes at the Tre Valli Varesine and Giro della Toscana.

The 2024 season saw Carapaz make a significant impact at the 2024 Tour de France. Despite a crash at the 2024 Tour de Suisse and subsequent illness, he entered the Tour aiming for stage wins. He notably wore the Maillot Jaune (yellow jersey) after Stage 3, becoming the first Ecuadorian rider to lead the Tour de France. Although he lost the yellow jersey after Stage 4, he went on to win Stage 17 in a solo finish, making him the first Ecuadorian to win a Tour de France stage and the first cyclist to win a stage in all three Grand Tours. He further cemented his legacy by securing the polka-dot jersey after Stage 19, becoming the first Ecuadorian to win this prestigious classification. He also won the overall combativity award for the 2024 Tour de France. Earlier in 2024, he won the Ecuadorian National Time Trial Championships for the second time. He also finished second overall at the 2024 Tour Colombia, winning the points and mountains classifications, and Stage 5. He won Stage 4 of the 2024 Tour de Romandie and finished seventh overall.

3.1. Grand Tours

Carapaz has achieved remarkable success in all three Grand Tours: the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España, including an overall victory and multiple podium finishes.

3.2. Olympic Games

The pinnacle of Carapaz's one-day race achievements is his gold medal victory in the men's individual road race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This monumental win, achieved by a solo breakaway in the final kilometers, was a historic moment for Ecuador, marking the country's first Olympic cycling medal and only its second Olympic gold medal in any sport.

3.3. Other Stage Races

Carapaz has also excelled in other significant stage races:

• Tour de Suisse**: He won the overall classification and Stage 5 in 2021.
• Tour de Pologne**: He won Stage 3 in 2020.
• Vuelta a Asturias**: He achieved overall victories in both 2018 (winning Stage 2) and 2019 (winning Stage 2 and the points classification).
• Volta a Catalunya**: He finished second overall and won Stage 6 in 2022.
• Tour Colombia**: In 2024, he finished second overall, winning the points and mountains classifications, and Stage 5.
• Tour de Romandie**: He won Stage 4 and finished seventh overall in 2024.
• Vuelta de la Juventud de Colombia**: He won the overall classification and Stages 3 and 4 in 2015.
• Vuelta a Navarra**: He won the overall classification and Stage 2 in 2016.

3.4. National Championships

Carapaz has consistently performed well at the Ecuadorian National Championships, demonstrating his dominance at the national level:

• Road Race**: He won the National Road Race Championships in 2023. He also finished second in 2022 and 2024.
• Time Trial**: He won the National Time Trial Championships in 2022 and 2024.