Richard Carapaz ruled out of Tour de France 2025 due to gastrointestinal infection - 'The timing really couldn’t be worse'
Published 28/06/2025 at 19:44 GMT+1
EF Education-EasyPost have been dealt a significant blow in their Tour de France 2025 hopes, after confirming that team leader Richard Carapaz will miss the race with a gastrointestinal infection. The Ecuadorian was on the podium at the Giro d'Italia and expected to be strong in the mountains at this year's Tour de France. EF have yet to confirm his replacement.
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EF Education-EasyPost team leader Richard Carapaz has been ruled out of the Tour de France with a gastrointestinal infection.
The 32-year-old was on the podium at the Giro d'Italia, finishing third in the general classification behind Isaac del Toro and winner Simon Yates.
But illness has left Carapaz unable to compete in the Tour de France, which starts on July 5 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
"We’re all gutted for Richard," said EF CEO Jonathan Vaughters. "He came out of the Giro with amazing form and was setting career-high power numbers in training.
"He sacrificed a lot to get to that level, so the timing really couldn’t be worse. We know how much the Tour means to him, so to lose him this close to the race is a real blow.
"He’s a champion in every sense, and knowing him, I have no doubt this setback will only motivate him to come back stronger."
"It's with great sadness that I have to tell you that a gastrointestinal infection is forcing me to miss my time," Carapaz wrote in a post on social media.
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"It's not the best news, but health always comes first. Thank you all for your messages and support. Best of luck EF Pro Cycling."
Carapaz's absence will be a blow for EF, who will be without their leader and top climber. They are yet to confirm a replacement.
Carapaz had only recently outlined his ambitions for the Tour de France in an interview with The Athletic.
"The Tour is a bit of a different race," he said. "In a certain sense, I don’t have the team to fight for the overall victory. You need that for the first 10 stages.
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"So to go for the general classification would be a little absurd. We’re going to do things that we can do.
"So our objectives are different. It’ll be similar to last year - I’ll go for a few stages, for the mountains jersey, which I really like. It’s a beautiful jersey.
"And in the end, it’s also going to be a bit more fun for me, isn’t it? Taking away the pressure of fighting every day for a Grand Tour, I’ve done that this year. In that sense, it’s a little bit better for me, too."
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