Carapaz undergoes perineal surgery a month before Giro d'Italia

April 2 : Former Olympic champion Richard Carapaz has undergone surgery for a perineal condition a month before the Giro d'Italia, but the Ecuadorean aims to be fit to compete for a fourth podium finish in the race.

"It wasn't part of the plan, but it was handled in the best possible way," the 32-year-old, who won the Giro in 2019, finished second in 2022 and took third place last year, posted on Instagram on Wednesday.

Carapaz, who took gold in the road race at the Tokyo Olympics, missed the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana due to an illness last year.

"From today, I'm fully focused on my recovery and on getting back to peak condition ahead of the Giro," Carapaz added.