Carapaz in Command

The Giro will not hand out glory. You must take it—preferably while the pack’s still catching its breath. On Stage 11, Richard Carapaz took control. He called his shot, crushed the climb, and rode his SuperSix EVO LAB71 Team Edition into the Italian town of Castelnovo ne’ Monti with daylight to spare and a statement made.

The 2025 Giro d’Italia had already served up its share of drama, but Stage 11—a brutal 186km haul from Viareggio into the Apennines—had all the makings of a turning point. With a Category 1 ascent at the midpoint and two punishing Cat 2 climbs stacked near the finish, it was set to shake up the general classification. It delivered on that promise. Carapaz made sure of it. When the breakaway was reeled in on the final climb—Pietra di Bismantova—it wasn’t chaotic. It was calculus.

At the line, he threw no fists in the air. He didn’t need to. The surge spoke for itself: this was a tactical masterclass executed with cool precision aboard the same SuperSix EVO that’s come to define modern road racing. Light, sharp, and made for moments like this—moments when instinct meets engineering at 60kph. 

It marked Carapaz’s fourth Giro stage win, but his first since 2019. More than a victory, it was a reminder—to rivals, to fans, and maybe to himself—that he’s still very much a factor. He now sits sixth in the GC, but more importantly, he’s riding like someone with unfinished business.  As Stage 11 faded into the rearview and the Giro charged toward its second half, the peloton had no choice but to reckon with what they'd seen: a rider in command, a team riding smart, and a machine made for moments that matter. Richard Carapaz recalibrated the race. 

Cannondale in Control.