Richard Carapaz breaks EF Education-EasyPost contract to sign for NSN

Richard Carapaz has broken his contract with EF Education-EasyPost early to join NSN Cycling Team on a three-year deal starting in 2027, it was confirmed on Friday.

The 33-year-old Ecuadorian was due to remain on the US team until the end of 2027, but will instead ply his trade at the Swiss-registered squad, bringing “world-class climbing ability, experience, and leadership to the team.”

Announced via a social media video with NSN co-founder and Spanish football icon Andres Iniesta, Carapaz is their seventh confirmed new signing for next season. He raced in the pink of EF for four successful seasons, with the US team posting a video of his recent highlights and behind-the-scenes moments with the caption “Gracias, Richie. Por todo.”

“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,” said 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.

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Carapaz’s total haul of UCI points in 2026 was more than double that of NSN’s top -ranked rider, Biniam Girmay, so even into his 30s, he is still among the very best riders in the world and will lead their Grand Tour GC ambitions in the coming three years.

“Signing Richard Carapaz is a significant moment for our team and an important milestone in the development of our sporting project,” said 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.”

Carapaz joins Santiago Buitrago, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Kasper Asgreen, Artem Shmidt and Cedric Beullens as new arrivals for 2027 at NSN. He’s also the sixth confirmed departure for EF Education-EasyPost at the end of the 2026 season.

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