Olympic champion and Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz is set to join NSN Cycling Team from 2027 through to 2029, bringing world-class climbing ability, experience, and leadership to the team.
The arrival of the Ecuadorian cycling star represents a major statement of intent from NSN Cycling Team, in a move that will strengthen the roster and the team’s Grand Tour and stage race ambitions.
Carapaz brings an exceptional palmarès featuring 26 wins across his 10-year career, including overall victory at the 2019 Giro d’Italia, the Olympic road race gold medal at Tokyo 2020, and podium finishes across all three Grand Tours.
“Signing Richard Carapaz is a significant moment for our team and an important milestone in the development of our sporting project,” explains General Manager Kjell Carlström. “Richard is a proven champion. His achievements speak for themselves, but what makes him particularly special is his mentality. Richard is known for his grit and determination, and we saw this shine through in 2026 with his two Tour de France stage wins and the polka dot jersey, followed by an impressive podium a week later in San Sebastián.
“Richard is one of those riders whose passion for cycling is so evident and we believe he still has some of his best performances ahead of him. His experience and leadership will be extremely valuable, not only in helping us achieve our sporting objectives but also in developing the next generation of talent within the team. Richard is someone our young riders can look up to, and I have no doubt he will fit in perfectly in our team culture. We’re excited for Richard’s next chapter at NSN Cycling Team.”
Renowned for his explosive climbing, aggressive racing style and ability to perform in the toughest mountain stages, the 33-year-old will become a central figure in the team’s Grand Tour ambitions from 2027 onwards.
“For me, it’s a tremendous opportunity as a rider to be part of this project and, above all, to be one of the team’s leaders,” says Carapaz. “I’m simply very excited. I’m really looking forward to it, and to be honest, this reminds me a lot of when I signed my first professional contract, when I was incredibly excited about being in the WorldTour. I still have the same motivation as I did that day and that’s really an incredible feeling.
“I find the NSN project really interesting and after our first conversations, I was convinced this would be the right place for me. I’m a rider who has achieved great results throughout my career, many of which were in the Grand Tours, and that fits very well with what NSN was looking for. The team has big ambitions to keep growing and already in my conversations with the performance team, it was clear we share the same desire to keep improving and achieve big things together. I think the team has a lot of potential to develop and I’m excited to be part of that in the next three years.”
Carapaz is the latest addition to NSN Cycling Team’s new-look 2027 roster, joining fellow climbers Santiago Buitrago and Lennert van Eetvelt, current teammate Kasper Asgreen, as well as Artem Shmidt and Cedric Beullens.