2021 Olympic gold medallist Richard Carapaz has been pressured to withdraw from the Road World Championships as a consequence of a household emergency and has as an alternative returned dwelling to South America.
Considered an out of doors favorite for the highway race subsequent Sunday, Carapaz defined in a message on his personal website that he has needed to pull out as a result of his daughter needed to have an emergency operation.
The operation was profitable however because the 2021 Olympic highway champion mentioned, “she nonetheless wants care and as a consequence of this household emergency, I’ve not been capable of prepare for a number of days and my kind will not be on the degree that Ecuador deserves, neither bodily nor mentally.”
“For this purpose, I’ve determined to not take part within the World Championships in Zurich.”
Carapaz’s early exit follows the withdrawal of one other prime Ecuadorian rider, Jhonatan Narváez, final week, who’s reportedly nonetheless affected by the aftereffects of catching COVID-19.
Like Carapaz, Narváez was seen as a darkish horse for Sunday’s highway race, significantly as he was one of many few riders capable of outduel main rainbow jersey favorite Tadej Pogačar this 12 months, on the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia.
Carapaz completed fourth within the Vuelta a España earlier this month, a consequence he celebrated as his first main GC success in a Grand Tour since taking third within the 2021 Tour de France, and which he adopted up that summer time with a notable solo Olympic victory – additionally forward of Pogačar, who took bronze.
His famous climbing expertise and predilection for long-distance breakaways, most not too long ago exhibited in an 80-kilometre solo transfer within the ultra-mountainous stage 9 of the Vuelta, made Carapaz a pure outsider for Zurich’s rugged course.
Ecuador will now should base their hopes on a trio of former National Road Champions: Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda, his cousin Jefferson Alexander Cepeda and Jonathan Caceido, the latter additionally a stage winner within the Giro d’Italia on Mount Etna again in 2020.
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