Carapaz bo dve leti kolesaril za švicarsko ekipo NSN Cycling

Equadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz has signed a two-year contract with the Swiss team NSN Cycling. The agreement was announced by the team following the confirmation of the deal. Carapaz, who won the Giro d'Italia in 2019 and became an Olympic champion two years later in Tokyo, will join NSN Cycling for the next two seasons. Carapaz, 33, had been riding for the American team EF Education since 2023. Before that, he was part of Ineos and Movistar. According to Kjell Carlstrom, the general manager of NSN Cycling, Carapaz's signing marks a significant moment for the team and represents a turning point in its sports project. "For me, this is an incredible opportunity. I am really excited to be one of the leaders of the team," Carapaz stated after signing the contract. Carapaz has achieved notable success throughout his career, including winning the Giro d'Italia in 2019 and securing historic results for Ecuador at the Olympics. He finished second in the Vuelta in 2020 and has ten stage victories in grand tours, with the last two coming this year at the Tour de France, where he ended up wearing the mountains classification jersey. According to additional reports, Carapaz is believed to have left EF Education-EasyPost before the end of his contract, which was set to expire in 2027. It is speculated that financial constraints within the American team influenced his decision to move to NSN Cycling, which is linked to former Spanish football star Andrés Iniesta through his sports business venture NSN. Carapaz faced personal and professional challenges earlier this year, including the loss of his mother and undergoing surgery in April, which prevented him from participating in the Giro d'Italia. After returning to competition, he quickly demonstrated his strength, finishing second in the Tour de Suisse and focusing on stage wins and the mountains classification at the Tour de France. The addition of Carapaz is expected to strengthen NSN Cycling for the upcoming season, particularly in mountain stages and grand tours. The team has already added new riders such as Kasper Asgreen, Santiago Buitrago, and Lennert Van Eetvelt, alongside existing talent like Biniam Girmay. Official confirmation of Carapaz’s transfer has yet to be released.