Richard Carapaz to lead Ineos Grenadiers at the Giro d'Italia

Ineos Grenadiers has announced its Giro d’Italia line-up, with Olympic road race champion Richard Carapaz at the head of the eight-man roster.

There’s no space in the lineup for Hackney (London, UK) cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart, who won the general classification in 2020, and 2021 winner Egan Bernal will be absent as he continues to recover from his crash earlier in the year - though his recovery appears to be well on track.

Carapaz will be hunting his second maglia rosa, having taken the general classification top step back in 2019.

He’ll be supported along the 2022 Giro d'Italia route by the likes of Richie Porte, Pavel Sivakov and Jonanthan Castroviejo, when the race kicks off in Budapest on Friday, May 6.

UK riders Ben Swift and Ben Tulett also make the line-up, alongside Jhonatan Narváez and Salvatore Puccio.

Tulett, 20, will be making his Grand Tour debut, and all eyes will be on him when the roads hit an incline; he’s kicked off his season well with a stage win already at Coppi e Bartali.

Speaking about his ambitions for the race, 28-year-old Carapaz said that Ineos was “all in for winning the Giro d’Italia”, adding “every Grenadier knows this is the goal, we all have that in common and want to deliver. I think when you have a team that is all behind the same goal, and with a team of riders who are so strong, who are ready to help each other, that is a real strength.”

Ecuador’s Carapaz reflected on his 2019 victory, adding: “It wasn’t just a significant win for me, it was also a significant win for my country. It had a big impact and started a new era in cycling for Ecuador. It also had an impact on me mentally, as it showed me that I had the ability to be a successful Grand Tour racer.”

Porte will be heading into his 17th battle with the Italian roads; now aged 37, it will be the Tasmanian's last Grand Tour. “It’s a privilege to go full circle and finish up at the Giro for my last Grand Tour,” he noted. In support of his leader, he added: “Going into this race, we’ve got a guy in Richard Carapaz who can win this race. It’s nice to go there with a rider you like, respect and hopefully help win the race. It’s so motivating.”

Deputy Team Principal Rod Ellingworth cast an eye backward, looking on the success of 2020 and 2021, before turning his attention to the upcoming edition.

“ It doesn’t feel that long ago that we saw Egan ride into the Piazza Duomo and take the pink jersey at last year’s edition, or with Tao the previous year,” he said. “This race means a lot to our team, and I have every confidence that we are going to be lining up in Budapest with the ability and intense desire to win, just as much as we have done in any other edition. We’re set to take the race on.”