A small fracture of the left knee cap forced the Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz to leave the Tour de France early. It was bad news for fans of the tricolor who wanted to see a great game of their compatriots on French soil.

A few hours after the injury and the decision Locomotive Carchi leaving the competition, Ecuadorian UFC fighter Marlon Chito Via her Twitter, Vera sent a message of support to the cyclist.

Diario Marca and regrets over the crash that left Richard Carapazo out of the Tour de France: It hurts to see

“Strength, Richie”, reads the message of the fighter who had an encounter with Richie in 2022, which both recorded on their social networks.

Carapaz and his early exit from the Tour de France

Richard Carapaz was one of the cyclists who were preparing for one of the big surprises of the Tour de France, whose favorites are the Dane Jonas Vingegaard and the Slovenian Tadej Pogačar. However, in the first stage of the Grande Boucle, the Ecuadorian had an accident due to a collision with the Spanish athlete Enrico Masa.

After passing the exams, EF Education-EasyPost (EFE), the team for which Richie leads, confirmed that he will not continue the competition.

The accident happened when carchense was in the peloton with 22 km to go: he failed to maintain stability in a turn when he encountered two cyclists, and when he hit the ground, he cut his leg.

Despite the decline, Locomotive Carchi He decided to finish the race and finished in 153rd position, 15 minutes and 22 seconds behind the leader, British Adam Yates. It was later found out that Richie had suffered a miscarriage fractured kneecap and must begin a recovery process that will last at least three to six months. (D)