Carapaz: 'I couldn't do more, Pogačar was like a motorcycle'

Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz battled fiercely on the iconic Alpe D'Huez stage of the Tour de France, ultimately finishing third and claiming the mountains classification jersey. Despite a strong effort, Carapaz was unable to match the explosive pace of Tadej Pogačar, who surged ahead in the final kilometers.

"I couldn't do more, Pogačar was going like a motorcycle," Carapaz stated at the finish line. He explained that after Pogačar caught him and his breakaway companion Lenny Martinez, he was already fatigued. "I tried to go with him, but when he changed rhythm 950 meters from the finish, he left me without strength," Carapaz recounted.

Carapaz, who won the previous day's stage, was a prominent figure in the day's breakaway. While he didn't win the stage, his efforts secured him the lead in the mountains classification. "It was a very hard day. We knew UAE would control, but we put 4 men in the breakaway. My teammates looked after me and did a great job. I focused on fighting for the mountain points, and in the end, we didn't coordinate very well," explained the 2020 Olympic champion.

The Ecuadorian rider also voiced his disappointment with Lenny Martinez, with whom he shared the lead in the final moments of the breakaway. Carapaz felt Martinez impeded him in the last corner, compromising his ability to contest the sprint fairly. "Yes, I got angry with Lenny because he closed me off in the last corner and I was ruled out of contesting the finish on equal terms. It wouldn't have changed much for me whether I was second or third, but these are things that should be respected," Carapaz concluded.