As happened in the recent Tour de France, Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz is part of the ideal team of La Vuelta a España 2020 by Marca, a Spanish newspaper with special coverage of elite cycling.
The Locomotive of Carchi was the runner-up in the Spanish tour, 24 seconds behind the two-time Slovenian champion Primoz Roglic.
Both the Carchense rider from Ineos Grenadiers and the leader of Jumbo-Visma starred in the stellar duel of the race, in which the bonuses at the finish line were decisive to secure the European's victory.
- The bonuses also defeated Carapaz
"He's already in the ideal team of the Tour (August 29 - September 20). He is one of the best climbers in the world and only Roglic has been able to prevent him from adding his second grand three-week tour. The Ecuadorian will be the leader of Ineos in 2021... perhaps ahead of (Egan) Bernal," Marca published on its website.
Carapaz, champion of the Giro d'Italia 2019, is one of the stars of the luxurious British team, which he joined this season.
As expected, Roglic is also among the chosen ones by the Spanish newspaper: "Possibly the best cyclist in the world in a three-week race... if it wasn't for his habit of playing with such small margins. It gives the feeling that he could have lost the race on the last day, as happened to him in the Tour (against Tadej Pogacar, in the decisive stage)... and also that he could have decided both races much earlier."
- Ineos: Carapaz, 'the pride of Ecuador'
Completing the ideal team are British Hugh Carthy (EF), "the surprise"; Irishman Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation), who "remains alive" at 34 years old; Belgian Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), winner of two stages; Frenchman David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), "the promise" at 24 years old; Spanish Marc Soler (Movistar), with "great ability to explode races"; and German Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe), whose inclusion in this list displaced other contenders such as Guillaume Martin or Sam Bennett. (D)