Richard Carapaz will skip the 2026 Giro d'Italia to prepare for the Tour de France. Richie is back in the saddle and has fully recovered from the surgical procedure for the removal of a perineural cyst that he underwent in Ecuador following the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.

The surgical wound took longer than expected to heal, delaying his return to training and preventing him from participating in this year's Giro. The Olympic champion and former Maglia Rosa winner is disappointed not to be able to take part in the prestigious Italian Grand Tour and is now focusing on arriving at the Tour de France start line ready to compete with the best.

"For me this is a huge disappointment, because the Giro is a race I've always been very attached to and was really looking forward to - Richie stated -. I always want to prepare myself as best as possible. Every time I participate in the Giro, it's a truly special moment. Finding myself in this situation is frustrating because I've put so much effort and time into it, but ultimately I have to prioritize my health and move forward. These are things you're not prepared for. But we're already at the gates of the Tour. There are less than 70 days until the start. I want to deliver an excellent performance, prepare myself as best as I can, and try to achieve a good result.”

EF Pro Cycling's chief physician Jon Greenwell is optimistic about Richie's preparation for the Tour. Richie has recovered from many injuries throughout his illustrious career and is confident he will soon return to his best.

“Since the surgical wound was quite extensive, the recovery took longer than expected, so we decided that the timeframe to prepare him for the Giro would have been too short -Greenwell stated -. Rather than have him go there not at 100%, with the risk of complications, we thought it was more sensible to prepare him properly for the Tour de France and ensure he arrives in the best possible condition.”

Richie has the full support of EF Education-EasyPost on his recovery journey. He is working closely with our performance staff to prepare for the Tour de France.

“The performance team is always by my side - Richie stated -. Even when I couldn't ride my bike, we trained in the gym and the doctors were in constant contact. I really appreciate that. Going to the Giro in these conditions wouldn't have been ideal, so we reassessed our objectives. They've been a real support that gave me the peace of mind I needed to recover. Now, full steam ahead!”