Racing

Carapaz recovering from tonsillectomy

The Ecuadorian resumed light training earlier this month

January 10, 2023

For years, his tonsils often became infected, inevitably affecting his ability to train and race.

After consulting with the team, Richard Carapaz underwent surgery in December to have his tonsils removed.

“I had this problem for about three years, a recurring problem of tonsil infections. When I was at camp, I had consulted with the team to have a tonsillectomy because last year I had had many recurrent infections and in the end it was becoming a problem. Wherever I went and whatever I did, I always had this problem. At the end of the day, it is a nuisance,” the 29-year-old says.

The surgery took place in Richard’s home country of Ecuador in mid-December and the procedure itself went well, though Richard’s recovery has taken longer than initially expected.

"Richard Carapaz had a planned tonsillectomy the week before Christmas in Ecuador. The surgery was successful but he had a minor complication during the recovery which saw bleeding from the tonsils. He has had two and a half weeks off the bike and is now back to training normally," says EF Education-EasyPost team doctor Jon Greenwell.

"His main objective, the Tour de France, is still on track."

- Jonathan Vaughters

As is common with tonsillectomy, Richard also experienced a great deal of inflammation, essentially restricting him to liquids, porridge, and soft fruits for about ten days.

After more than two weeks on a total hiatus from training, Richard was given the green light by his doctors to resume light training early in the new year.

“The first day, I was a little awkward on the bike,” he says. “The first few days I started with a couple of hours, just two or three. [This week] I will begin to add on a little more. I think things are getting back to where they belong again, the body adapting to the bike again and returning to routine.”

"Richard’s health and the health of all our riders is always our first priority. This isn’t a longterm setback for him, though we may need to adjust some his spring goals. His main objective, the Tour de France, is still on track," says team CEO Jonathan Vaughters. "The performance staff and Richard will work together to ease back into racing at a pace that makes sense."

Though he was disappointed that his recovery meant he had to forgo the traditional turkey dinner at Christmas, Richard was happy just to be with family for the holidays and looks forward to eventually getting back to full training.

“The holidays were a little quieter than usual but the important thing is that I got to be with my family and could enjoy each moment,” he says. “I can start thinking now about starting to structure good training sessions and, above all, to start the year off right.”

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