MONTREAL: Ecuador’s Richard Carapazhas ‘a health issue’ and has pulled out of the world cycling championships where he would have been one of the potential contendersintheroadrace scheduled for next Sunday.
Carapaz was a shock exclusion from the 2024 Paris Olympic road race whereEcuador instead favoured the now 29-year-old Jhonatan Narvaez, who will also lead the title bid.
But the 33-year-old 2020 Olympic road race champion and 2019 Giro d’Italia winner Carapaz has been on form this season, winning the king of the mountains jersey at the Tour de France and comingfourth at the Vuelta a Espana.
Carapaz said he had made the decision in agreement with his American team EF, believing it was in his interest to rest.
The world championship road races are usually exceptionally tough in length and the September 27 race to Montreal is 273km long.
-AFP