Carapaz Undergoes Surgery Five Weeks Before Giro d'Italia — 'It Wasn't the Plan'
Richard Carapaz has undergone a surgical procedure just five weeks before the start of the Giro d'Italia, dealing a blow to the 2019 champion's preparations for the race he has named as his primary objective of the 2026 season. The Ecuadorian, riding for EF Education-EasyPost, confirmed the news after returning to his home country to undergo the operation on a perineal issue that had been troubling him for some time.
"This wasn't part of the plan," Carapaz said in a statement released by his team, "but the problem had to be resolved, and the team and medical staff agreed that now was the right moment to deal with it. I expect a short recovery and I am confident I will be at the maximum level when the Giro starts." His words struck a note of cautious optimism, but the timing is far from ideal for a rider who had been building steadily towards the first Grand Tour of the season.
The 32-year-old had shown impressive form despite carrying the issue throughout the spring. At Tirreno-Adriatico in March, he was competitive across the mountain stages, and at the Volta a Catalunya — which concluded just days ago with Jonas Vingegaard taking a dominant overall victory — Carapaz still managed to finish tenth despite the discomfort. That he was competitive while dealing with a problem requiring surgery speaks to both his resilience and the seriousness with which he and his team are approaching the Giro.
The 109th Giro d'Italia gets underway on 8 May in Nessebar, Bulgaria, marking the first time a Grand Tour has ever begun on Bulgarian soil. After three stages across the Balkans, the race returns to Italian soil for the remainder of its three weeks, culminating in Rome on 31 May. The 2026 route has been widely described as the most demanding in recent memory, with over 50,000 metres of cumulative elevation gain across its 21 stages.
Carapaz's absence from training during his recovery period adds genuine uncertainty to a Giro starting line already full of intrigue. Jonas Vingegaard, making his Grand Tour debut on Italian roads after confirming the race as his first major goal of the year, arrives in brilliant form following his Paris-Nice and Volta a Catalunya victories. Remco Evenepoel, competing in the Giro for the first time in his career, represents another formidable rival, as does João Almeida, the Portuguese climber who has long been one of the most consistent GC performers at the race.
EF Education-EasyPost have confirmed Carapaz remains on the longlist for the Giro, with a final decision on his participation expected closer to the start. The team have not named an alternative leader, a sign of their confidence in the Ecuadorian's ability to recover in time. For Carapaz, who finished third in the 2025 edition and has never lost his love for the Corsa Rosa, the prospect of missing the race would be a significant blow. He will be hoping that surgery now leads to the kind of physical freedom on the climbs of the Dolomites that has previously brought him so close to Maglia Rosa glory.
The news adds another layer of intrigue to an already compelling Giro narrative. With Tadej Pogacar targeting the fabled Giro-Tour double, Vingegaard on debut, and Evenepoel hungry to prove his Grand Tour credentials on a punishing Italian route, the 2026 edition shapes up as one of the most fiercely contested in years. Whether Carapaz will be at the startline in Bulgaria — fully fit and ready to challenge — remains the most pressing question in Grand Tour cycling right now.