Richard Carapaz: Top things to know about the Olympic road race gold medallist and Giro winner
Meet the Ecuadorian whose blistering Tokyo 2020 win on the slopes of Mount Fuji spotlighted him as a rider at the peak of his game.
Cycling Road
There is a reason why people can’t stop talking about Olympic cycling road race champion Richard Carapaz.
Aside from his place atop the list of Ecuador's sporting heroes, thanks to his string of historic firsts, his attacking style and climbing grit have earned him the praise of many as he continues to set himself apart in the current crop of stars.
From first stamping his authority on the Giro d'Italia in 2019, to winning gold at the Tokyo 2020 men's road race weeks after making the podium at the 2021 Tour de France, Carapaz continues to build from strength-to-strength.
Read on for the top things you need to know about man they call the 'Locomotora'.
Richard Carapaz: the pride of Playa Atla
Born in 1993, Carapaz was raised in Playa Atla, a small mountain village outside of Tulcan, a city on the northern border of Ecuador.
His early years were full of responsibility and hard-work, as the South American played a role in maintaining his family’s keep, looking after livestock in between going to school.
His first bike was given to him by his father who spent much of his son’s childhood working way from home.
Antonio Carapaz discovered the bicycle in a pile of scrap metal. Since he didn’t have the money to buy one, Antonio rescued the bike – without tyres or breaks - and gave it to Carapaz as a gift.
“I only knew that a bicycle was a means of transportation and it made me happy. That’s it,” the Richard Carapaz told his INEOS Grenadiers UCI WorldTeam, about the moment that would go on to shape the rest of his life.
With everything the rider has gone on to achieve so far in his career, he has become a great source of pride for the community he came from.
In honour of his victory at the Giro d’Italia in 2019, his friend Richard painted a giant locomotive – a nod to Carapaz’s nickname - on the road in the village.
And with every other conquest that has followed more paintings have been added to create an ever-growing mural in his honour.
Giro d’Italia 2019: the first Grand Tour victory
Carapaz finally got a sniff of the big time thanks to his move to Movistar Team at age 23, but it wasn’t until three years later that the South American talent finally had his breakthrough.
That moment came at the 2019 Giro d’Italia when he became the first Ecuadorian to become a grand tour champion.
The renowned climbing specialist took the leader’s pink jersey after the gruelling 14th stage and successfully defended thereafter to win the three-week-long race, finishing one minute and five seconds ahead of the home favourite Vincenzo Nibali.
Keeling over the handlebars with emotion after crossing the line at the Arena di Verona the Ecuadorian was joined by his parents who had flown over from Tulcan, in what was their first ever journey on an aeroplane.
Tokyo 2020 in 2021: making Olympic history for Ecuador
After wondering if he would stay in his country’s consciousness after his feats in 2019, Carapaz guaranteed his name would one remembered for generations in Ecuador after he won his nation their first ever Olympic cycling gold, and second Olympic gold ever, at Tokyo 2020, in 2021.
In a road race stacked full of talent, including three previous winners of the Tour de France and the current reigning champion, it was Carapaz that came out of the shadows Mount Fuji victorious.
Over the 234 arduous kilometres the Ecuadorian proved to be the strongest on the day as he broke away with USA’s Brandon McNulty before then powering off on his own to take the gold.
Giro d’Italia 2022: hunting a repeat
A return to Italy’s premier road race for the 2022 edition held high hopes for Carapaz, and he delivered by taking overall lead after stage 14.
Given that Ineos Grenadiers – Carapaz's current team – has won three of the last four editions, history and experience are certainly on the side of the 2019 champion.
Throw into the mix the news that the 28-year-old has labelled winning Italy's grand tour for a second time a "very personal challenge" all signs point to a Carapaz on the hunt and willing to do whatever it takes.
All the latest on the 2022 Giro can be found on Olympics.com right here.