Richard Carapaz, third in this year's Giro d'Italia and last year's Tour de France mountain king, will have to sit out this year's Tour de France. The rider, who is part of EF Pro Cycling along with 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 that revealed a gastrointestinal infection, which was confirmed by additional scans and imaging. Doctors are currently advising Carapaz to avoid long flights and racing, and he will therefore not participate in this year's Tour.
"We are all very sorry for Richard," said EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters. "He came out of the Giro in great shape and was putting in some of the best power numbers of his career in training. He sacrificed a lot to get to this level, so the timing is really bad. We know how much the Tour means to him and to lose him so close to the race is a real setback. He is a champion in every way and knowing him, I'm sure this setback will only motivate him to come back stronger."
EF Pro Cycling has not announced the line-up for the Tour, but Madis Mihkels is likely to be on the list. The Tour starts on July 5 in Lille.
