“This was not my year,” says the Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapazthis season affected by medical problems that initially changed his training schedule due to tonsil surgery (December) and an injury that kept him out of the Tour de France (July), in the first stage.

“This was a difficult season for me. It’s been very strange since the beginning of the season, there’s always been something strange, but now I’m finally seeing the sun again. I’ve been feeling really good lately. “I’m close to my best level,” said Carapaz in a conversation with the EF Education-EasyPost team’s official portal.

Was Richard Carapaz happy with second place in Italy’s Tres Valles Varesinos?

Since the fall on July 1 that left him out of the Tour of France, Carapaz appeared again in the Italian classics, the first on September 13 take second place at the Giro della Toscanahe followed Coppa Sabatini (7th)he Giro dell’Emilia (7th) and another second place in Tre Valli Varesine. The only stage trial was held in Luxembourg, where he took 24th place on a local tour.

“These days in Italy I was in very good shape and it is something that strengthens me and my head. I want to be at the Giro di Lombardia. We have a team that knows what I want and I have shared with them my confidence in that I feel fresh, with good legsand that’s something they’ve seen in recent weeks. Lombardy is Lombardy and we are here to go all or nothing“said Carchense, encouraged by his performance this Saturday.

On his departure from the Tour, Carapaz commented: “In the blink of an eye, everything went dark. I was angry, frustrated, but I thought I had to go back. That was my motivation, to get rid of the anger that I had in me since my fall in Bilbao (Spain).”

Richard Carapaz says goodbye to the Tour de France

The return “was very difficult”.. When I left the Tour de France, I didn’t know that I would have to write history on a blank page. I wasn’t sure of anything. I returned to Ecuador, but it turned out differently than I expected. I started my comeback, but As much as I fought, I felt that things were not getting better. “I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he remarked.

Carapaz discovered it He thought of “things he shouldn’t have” given the difficulty of getting back on the bike; However, the results appeared with a good recovery process.

“Being able to fight for the win with the greats in my first races is something big for me. This return, apart from the hard work and suffering, was positive for me, because now I am where I need to be. “There were many uncertain days on my road to recovery,” he said.

Carapaz will lead the EF for the 117th edition of the Giro di Lombardia this Saturdaythis season’s last so-called monument. The Carchense player will be accompanied by his compatriot Jonathan CaicedoColombians Esteban Chaves and Rigobeto UránIrish Ben HealyDanish Mikkel Honoré and Italian Andrea Piccolo.

“We will have to run the race well. We have Rigo and Chaves, who already know what it takes to win a monument like Il Lombardia. We don’t all want to play the same card. You have to show in advance what your options are. We will have a leader and I believe I can take that responsibility. “I want to tell them that they can and trust me,” he said.

After seven weeks of recovery, to come back on a good level and be on the payroll for the monument “is something that my colleagues know is not an easy task. Lombardy is a race tailored to my characteristics. We will face many very strong opponents, but I know I will be in a fight. It will be a special race. You grow up watching Giro, Tirreno, Il Lombardia and as a child you dream of getting on the podium. The Italian fans are wonderful,” concluded the Ecuadorian. (D)