Richard Carapaz withdraws from Road Cycling World Championships in Montreal due to health issues

Richard Carapaz announced on Saturday that he will not participate in the Road Cycling World Championships in Montreal, Canada, citing health complications. The 2020 Olympic champion explained in an official statement that the decision followed a detailed medical assessment and recommendations from his EF Education performance team to focus on recovery and avoid further athletic risks. The Ecuadorian Cycling Federation was formally notified of his withdrawal by email.

Carapaz expressed his gratitude to the national federation and supporters ahead of the competition:

I thank the Federation for the call-up, my technical team and all the fans for their understanding and support at this time. I wish the greatest success to the entire tricolour delegation that will represent us in this competition.

The withdrawal follows Carapaz's fourth-place overall finish at the Vuelta a España and a season where he claimed two stage victories, the King of the Mountains classification, and the super-combativity award at the Tour de France. The Montreal championships, which run through 27 September and also see the absence of Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar, feature approximately 1,000 riders from around 100 nations competing for 13 world titles across elite, under-23, junior, and mixed team relay events.