Richard Carapaz
Hometown
Playa Alta, Ecuador
Birthdate
29 May 1993
Languages
Spanish, English
Nicknames
La Locomotora, El Cóndor de los Andes, Billy
Richard Carapaz races with grit and heart. The Giro d’Italia winner and former Olympic champion hails from the high mountains of Ecuador where he started racing as a 16-year-old for his local club. He returns there each winter to help the next generation of children from his hometown of Playa Alta get started in the sport they dream of conquering like him.
Richard has stood on the podium of all three grand tours and won over 20 professional races. When Richie wins, he wins with style. He is never afraid to attack and can sense exactly the right moment to go. That is how he won his Olympic gold medal and his Giro d’Italia.
This is his fourth year racing with EF Education-EasyPost.
After a difficult 2023 season, Richie proved that he was ready to attack in 2024. He started the season with a win at the Ecuadorian time trial national championship. At the Tour Colombia, he won the queen stage and took both the points and mountains jerseys. He won stage four of the Tour de Romandie. Then, Richie raced a phenomenal Tour de France, enjoying a day in the yellow jersey, besting the peloton on stage 17, and winning the polka dot jersey.
He focused on the Giro d’Italia in 2025 and raced away with a scintillating stage win in the mountains and third place on the general classification.
He’ll keep that momentum rolling in 2026.
Questions & Answers
What is your favorite thing to do on a rest day?
Sleep in very late.
Who is the person you most admire and why?
My mother, who is a born fighter.
When you stop at a petrol station mid-ride, what do you get?
Coffee.
Which two apps do you use the most?
WhatsApp and Strava
What is your favorite song in your native language?
“Amor Sublime” by Kike Vega.