After four years with EF, Richard Carapaz is moving on. The Olympic champion has signed for the NSN Cycling Team until 2029. There, he is set to return to the role he only played in a supporting capacity during the Tour de France in July: team leader for the major stage races.
It was one of the defining moments of this cycling summer: on the queen stage to Alpe d’Huez, Sepp Kuss was in the lead, crashed twice in the final stretch, and Richard Carapaz overtook him. His second stage win in three days, plus the mountains’ jersey. It was a performance that showcased what has defined the Ecuadorian for years. He is a rider for the big stages and is known above all for one thing: his aggressive riding style.
Richard Carapaz: three years, a clear role
On Friday 16 October, the NSN Cycling Team officially announced the signing of Richard Carapaz. The 33-year-old will ride for the team from 2027, with the contract running up to and including 2029. After four years with EF Education - EasyPost, a new chapter is beginning for him, and the team is making no secret of what it hopes to achieve with this move. Richard Carapaz is set to become the key figure in the team’s Grand Tour plans.
His track record is impressive: 26 professional victories in ten years, including overall victory in the 2019 Giro d’Italia, Olympic gold in the road race at the Tokyo Games, and prestigious stage wins in the major national tours.
A summer as a calling card
Richard Carapaz has impressively demonstrated this year that, at 33, he is far from past his best. He travelled to the Tour de France with no ambitions for the general classification, but with the stated aim of winning a stage and the mountains jersey. In the end, he achieved both – and even won two stages.
On the 18th stage to Orcières-Merlette, he broke away from the breakaway group and won solo. Two days later, he went on to the coup on the queen stage to Alpe d’Huez, that stage with 5,450 metres of climbing, which Tour director Christian Prudhomme had described as the toughest in the modern history of the Tour. Along the way, Richard Carapaz also secured victory in the battle for the polka-dot jersey against Valentin Paret-Peintre with his attacks on the Télégraphe and Galibier. It was his second mountains’ jersey at the Tour since 2024. A week later, he followed that up with a podium finish at the classic in San Sebastián.
From stage winner back to team captain
What makes this move particularly exciting is the role Richard Carapaz is set to play at the NSN Cycling Team. At EF, he was most recently the man for the big moments: breakaways, mountain classifications and spectacular solo rides. Although the general classification of a Grand Tour has remained the focus in recent years, it wasn’t quite enough to secure a place at the very top. That is set to change again at the NSN Cycling Team.
Carapaz himself sounds as though he’s been waiting for exactly this. He speaks of a great opportunity to be part of the project and, above all, to be a leader. The excitement feels just like it did when he first joined the WorldTour: “It reminds me very much of my first professional contract.” Even during the initial discussions with the Performance Team, it was clear that both sides share the same hunger for further development.
What the NSN Cycling Team has in store for Richard Carapaz
General Manager Kjell Carlström describes this as a milestone for the team’s sporting project. What makes Richard Carapaz special, he says, is not so much his list of achievements as his mentality, his tenacity and his determination, which have once again been evident in this year’s Tour. Carlström is convinced that the Ecuadorian still has some of his best performances ahead of him. At the same time, Carapaz is expected to lead the young riders in the team and serve as a role model for them.
The transfer is part of a wider squad overhaul. The NSN Cycling Team has already signed climbers Santiago Buitrago and Lennert van Eetvelt for 2027, alongside Artem Shmidt and Cedric Beullens, whilst Kasper Asgreen is also moving from EF to NSN. With Richard Carapaz at the helm, this mountain group now has an experienced leader.
Is it still enough for the standings?
The question remains as to how far this plan will take him. By the time his contract expires, Richard Carapaz will be 36 years old, and the elite field in the Grand Tours has become younger and faster in recent years. Whether he will once again be in contention for podium places there or continue to play to his strengths in attacking stage chases remains to be seen in the 2027 season. One thing is certain: it won’t be boring with him around. Anyone who breaks away on the toughest stage of the Tour in July isn’t going to be content just to ride along with his new team. So fans of dynamic racing certainly have plenty to look forward to from the attack-minded Ecuadorian.
Leon Weidner
Editor