Carapaz: It's incredible to say that I'm the winner of the Giro d'Italia
Three weeks ago, at Movistar's pre-Giro d'Italia press conference at the Eataly World food park in Bologna, Richard Carapaz sat largely ignored as Mikel Landa drew the undivided attention of the assembled reporters. Carapaz had placed fourth overall a year ago, winning a stage at Montevergine in the process but his contribution to proceedings was limited to a token question towards the end.
When Carapaz powered to victory on stage 4 in Frascati, his triumph was overshadowed by the ill fortune that beset Tom Dumoulin, a crash victim in the finale. The time he gained at Ceresole Reale on stage 13, meanwhile, was lost amid the crossfire of the polemica between Vincenzo Nibali and Primoz Roglic. Even when Carapaz soloed to stage victory at Courmayeur and moved into the pink jersey the following day, he still struggled to generate column inches in a news cycle dominated by Nibali and Roglic's awkward fist bumps.
For two weeks of this Giro, the eventual winner was hiding in plain sight, but Carapaz slowly – and deservedly – came into focus during the final week, where he proved utterly immovable in the face of Nibali's offensives on the road to Como and again on the Mortirolo.
After safely defending his lead of 1:54 over Nibali on Saturday's final mountain stage to Monte Avena, Carapaz began Sunday's time trial in Verona as champion-elect, though he refused to accept that the job had been completed until he had passed the finish line safely in the Arena. He sprinted home in 36th place, 1:11 down on stage winner Chad Haga (Sunweb) to seal overall victory.
"Now I am the winner of the Giro," Carapaz smiled when he took a seat in the press centre on Piazza Bra. "I never wanted to say anything that might jinx the win. I knew that anything could happen and until I passed over the final cobblestone here in Verona, I knew that the race wasn't won. It's something incredible to say now, that I am the winner of a Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia."
Carapaz was finally centre stage on the concluding leg of the Giro, which was broadcast on terrestrial television in his native Ecuador following the intercession of president Lenin Moreno. On crossing the finish line in Verona, riders freewheeled into the centre of the ancient Roman amphitheatre to receive the acclaim of the crowds that had assembled since late morning, and there was a tumultuous cheer to herald Carapaz's arrival.
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