Richard Carapaz, this year's third-place finisher in the Giro d'Italia and last year's King of the Mountains at the Tour de France, will have to watch this year's French cycling tour from the sidelines. The cyclist, who rides for EF Pro Cycling alongside Madis Mihkels, contracted a gastrointestinal infection while training in his home country of Ecuador.
Last week, Carapaz began experiencing abdominal pain and a high fever. He underwent several tests, which identified a gastrointestinal infection, confirmed by further scans and imaging. Doctors have advised Carapaz to avoid long flights and competition for now, and therefore he will not participate in this year's Tour.
"We are all very sorry for Richard," said Jonathan Vaughters, founder and CEO of EF Pro Cycling. "He came out of the Giro in excellent form and was posting career-best power numbers in training. He sacrificed a lot to get to this level, so the timing is really unfortunate. We know how much the Tour means to him, and to lose him so close to the race is a serious setback. He is a champion in every sense of the word, and knowing him, I'm sure this obstacle will only motivate him to return stronger."
EF Pro Cycling has not yet released its Tour roster, but Madis Mihkels is highly likely to be included. The Tour begins on July 5 in Lille.
