MADRID, 2 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) has abandoned the Tour de France as a result of the fall suffered during the first stage, which caused a small fracture in his left kneecap, his team has reported.
“Richard Carapaz will not participate in stage 2 of the Tour de France after an ultrasound revealed a small fracture in his left kneecap. He also needed three stitches to close the cut in the same knee,” the EF Education-EasyPost reported.
However, the US team denied that the former Giro d’Italia champion and reigning Olympic champion had any other injuries, and confirmed that he would return home to begin his recovery. “Heal up, champ. We’ll carry your attacking spirit to the rest of this Tour,” he noted.
The descent of the Vivero, 23 kilometers from the finish line located in Bilbao, claimed the options of two aspirants to win the gala round: the Spanish Enric Mas (Movistar) and Carapaz fell to the ground and the race ended for the Spaniard, forced to abandon due to severe pain in his right shoulder and scapula, while the South American reached the finish line off the hook.
Carapaz won the Giro in 2019 and took Olympic gold en route at the Tokyo 2020 Games. That same year he was third overall in the Tour de France and also has a podium finish in the Vuelta a España for being second overall in 2020.