Carapaz to return to stage racing action at Vuelta a Burgos

Giro d'Italia winner Richard Carapaz will return to stage racing action at next month's Vuelta a Burgos, the race organisation announced on Monday. The five-day event takes place from August 13-17.

The Ecuadorian will use the race as preparation for the Vuelta a España, where the Movistar team is also expected to include Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana, who signalled his participation on the final day of the Tour de France on Sunday.

Carapaz has not raced since he sealed Giro victory in the final time trial in Verona on June 2. He has also been included in Movistar's provisional line-up for the one-day Circuit de Getxo, which takes place on Wednesday.

Last week, Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue confirmed that both Carapaz and Quintana would leave Movistar at the end of this season. Carapaz is understood to be moving to Team Ineos, home of Tour winner Egan Bernal, while Quintana has been widely linked with a transfer to French Pro Continental outfit Arkea-Samsic. "It's true that it seems that Richard and Nairo [leaving] is a reality," Unzue told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.

Now 26 years of age, Carapaz rode as a stagiaire with Movistar in 2016 before turning professional with the Spanish squad the following season. He made his Vuelta debut in 2017, placing 36th overall. In 2018, he placed 4th overall at the Giro and then finished 18th at the Vuelta, where he rode in support of Quintana and Valverde.

It remains to be seen if Carapaz's Giro victory will place him atop Movistar's hierarchy at the Vuelta a España. Movistar deployed Mikel Landa and Quintana as co-leaders at the Tour, but while their strength in depth secured victory in the team classification, they fell short in the battle for the maillot jaune. Landa placed 6th overall, Quintana took 8th and Valverde finished 10th.