Will Richard Carapaz ride the Vuelta a España 2021?

The Ineos Grenadiers rider is third overall in the Tour de France, but may already be looking ahead to his next goal

Richard Carapaz sits third after the final mountain stage
Richard Carapaz sits third after the final mountain stage
(Image credit: Getty )

Richard Carapaz has indicated that he may ride the Vuelta a España after all-but securing third place at the Tour de France. 

The Ineos Grenadiers rider finished third atop Luz Ardiden on stage 18 of the Tour and now has a buffer of 2-27 to Ben O’Connor (AG2R-Citroën) in fourth, meaning that only disaster in the three remaining stages will stop the Ecuadorian appearing on the final podium in Paris. 

Carapaz was in high spirits after the stage and when asked if he will be riding the Vuelta, that begins on August 14, he smiled and said: “Possibly.” 

Should he be included in his team’s eight-man squad, he would be riding alongside Adam Yates and Egan Bernal, and probably facing the Tour’s winner-in-waiting Tadej Pogačar once more. 

Reflecting on his performance in the final Pyrenean stage that pretty much makes him the first Latin American to finish in the top-three of all Grand Tours, the 2019 Giro d’Italia victor said: 

“Firstly, for me, as a professional, it’s amazing. Each year I am progressing, trying new things and, above all, trying to get another title more. 

“We have come into this Tour with a lot of ambition and we are going to finish third. 

“It’s a good result after everything. I am very positive and very happy.” 

For the second successive day there were large time gaps among the GC riders, although Pogačar, Carapaz and Jonas Vingegaard in second remained close together until the final metres. 

“It has been a very hard stage,” he said. “We have raced up here very quick. 

“We have tried to win the stage, that was our goal. 

“We have been fighting, and we have tried to do everything we possibly could. 

“We knew there were people who were a lot stronger than us, but you lose nothing by trying.  

“It’s finished well and we have crossed the line in third. We have to be very pleased after this.” 

>>> Matej Mohorič says police raid on Bahrain Victorious hotel made him feel like a 'drug dealer'

Stage 20’s time trial is the last chance for riders to change position in the race’s final standings, and though Carapaz isn’t worried about the test against the clock, he stuck to the script. 

“It’s a very hard time trial. It’s 30kms and we have to go full gas and very fast. Normally the podium will be there now, but we have to try our best.” 

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Chris Marshall-Bell

Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.


Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.