Richie is back on the bike and fully recovered from the surgery to remove a perineal cyst that he underwent at home in Ecuador after the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Richie’s wound from his operation took longer to heal than first anticipated, which delayed his return to training and prevented him from competing in this year’s Giro. The Olympic gold medalist and former Maglia Rosa winner is disappointed to miss the Italian grand tour and is now focused on arriving at the start of the Tour de France ready to compete with the best.

“For me, it's a complete disappointment, because the Giro is a race that I've always had a lot of affection for and looked forward to,” Richie said. “I always want to prepare for it in the best way. Every time I go to the Giro, it is a very special moment. Finding myself in this situation is frustrating because you put a lot of desire and time into it, but in the end I have to prioritize my health now and move forward. These are things you aren't prepared for. I will make the best of it and move forward. We are at the gates of the Tour. The start is less than 70 days away. I want to do super well, prepare for it, and try to get a good result.”

EF Pro Cycling head doctor Jon Greenwell is optimistic about Richie’s buildup to the Tour. Richie has come back from setbacks many times in his storied career and is confident that he will soon be back to his best.

“Because the wound from the surgery was quite big, the recovery was longer than we'd originally predicted, so we decided the timeline to get him ready for the Giro was going to be too short,” Greenwell said. “Rather than have him go there, not 100 percent, and potentially have any complications, we thought it would be more sensible to have a good buildup toward the Tour de France and make sure he gets there in the absolute best shape.”

Richie has EF Education-EasyPost’s full backing, as he returns to form. He is working closely with our performance staff to get ready for the Tour de France.

“The performance team is right there with me,” Richie said. “Even when I couldn't ride my bike, we were working in the gym and the doctors were in contact the whole time. I really appreciate that a lot. Going to the Giro like this wasn't going to be the best, so we reevaluated our goals. If we couldn't go to the Giro, we were going to do a great preparation for the Tour. That shows the character of this team in difficult moments. They have been a true support that has given me peace of mind to recover. Now, onward!”

Richie’s ambitions for the Tour are as high as ever. He has won a stage, worn the yellow jersey, finished on the general classification podium, and won the Super Combatif and King of the Mountains competitions at the Tour in the past. This year, he wants to race with the best in the Pyrenees and the Alps.

“We have to be clear and keep our feet on the ground; there will be great riders at the Tour. I'll try to go with my best form and the best of our team to take them on.”

Vamos, Richie!