Giro d'Italia favourite Carapaz aims for two Grand Tours in 2022

Richard Carapaz (Ineos) at the Giro d'Italia team presentation
Richard Carapaz (Ineos) at the Giro d'Italia team presentation (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Three years ago, when Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) started on his road to an unexpected but fully deserved victory at the Giro d’Italia, at the press conference with his teammate and then Movistar star contender Mikel Landa, the Ecuadorian fielded a grand total of one question.

Fast forward to 2022 and it’s a very different kettle of fish for the 28-year-old racer. As a former Giro winner and with Grand Tour podium success in both the Tour de France (2021) and the Vuelta a España, Carapaz started the traditional round of pre-Giro media grilling of the favourites on Wednesday in Budapest as the rider most widely rated as the likely winner in Verona in just over three weeks time. 

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Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.