The Giro d'Italia is racing towards the Alps without former champion and 2025 podium finisher Richard Carapaz. However, the Ecuadorian climber is preparing to make his return to the peloton next month.
Carapaz had been set to lead EF Education-EasyPost into his fifth Giro d'Italia this month, but was ruled out of competing a week before the Grande Partenza in Bulgaria.
The 32-year-old underwent surgery to remove a perineal cyst in April, and his recovery from the procedure delayed his recovery and training ahead of the Grand Tour.
EF have pivoted to target breakaways at the Giro, while young Basque rider Markel Beloki is riding high in 11th place just over halfway through his second Grand Tour.
Carapaz hasn't raced since finishing 10th at the Volta a Catalunya in March. He now turns his attention to the Tour de France, which kicks off in Barcelona on July 4.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Carapaz took 24 days off the bike following his surgery, and he's now following a specific training plan for the Tour. He's set to return to racing in June with two options for final preparation ahead of the biggest race of the year.
AS reports that the Tour de Suisse (June 17-21) and the Route d'Occitanie (June 18-20) are in the frame for Carapaz's final tune-up.
The Swiss race is set to run its 89th edition this season, with Tadej Pogačar, Tom Pidcock, and Primož Roglič among the notable names competing. The five-day race is a reduction from the previous eight-day editions.
The Route d'Occitanie, meanwhile, offers a gentler ride before the Tour, featuring just three days of racing and a weaker field of teams and riders.
Carapaz last raced the Tour in 2024, picking up a stage win and the polka dot jersey. Beforehand, he raced four days of the Tour de Suisse before crashing out. In 2021, he won the race overall en route to taking third on the podium in Paris a month later.
