Madrid (AFP)
Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, winner in the spring of the Giro d'Italia, is insufficiently recovered from a fall suffered on Sunday and is forfeited for the Tour of Spain which starts Saturday from Torrevieja (south-east of Spain), announced his team Movistar Thursday.
"Movistar confirms that Richard Carapaz will not start the 74th edition of the Tour of Spain", wrote the Spanish formation in a statement.
"Ecuadorian runner suffers from a strong bruise on the right shoulder and multiple wounds, after a fall on Sunday at a criterium" in the Netherlands, can we read, even if he does not suffer any fracture .
He was replaced at short notice by Spanish rider José Joaquin Rojas.
Carapaz (26) was expected to be one of the three leaders of the team on the Tour of Spain, alongside Spain's Alejandro Valverde, winner in 2009, and Colombian Nairo Quintana, winner of the 2016 title. package flatten out even more a plate where miss many big names, whose last two winners, the British Simon Yates and Chris Froome.
The Ecuadorian, who won the Tour of Italy on June 2, surprising the tenors of the peloton, must leave the Movistar team at the end of the year. According to the press, he is expected to join the British training Ineos next season.
© 2019 AFP