Richard Carapaz makes late withdrawal from World Championships
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Patrick Fletcher
Former Olympic champion will not represent Ecuador, citing 'health complications'
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Richard Carapaz has made a late withdrawal from the UCI Road World Championships, the Ecuadorian announced today.
The 33-year-old had been set to compete in next Sunday's elite men's road race, and with a chance of success given his status as a former Olympic champion.
However, he announced on Saturday that he will not be taking part after all, citing unspecified health reasons.
"Through this message I want to inform you that, due to health complications, I will not be able to form part of the Ecuadorian delegation that will participate in the upcoming World Championships. This decision has already been communicated to the [Ecuadorian] Federation," Carapaz wrote in a public statement.
"As a high-performance athlete my desire has always been to give the best of myself and represent the colours of Ecuador with pride. However, after an in-depth test and following medical advice, and in a joint decision with my performance team, it has been determined that the most responsible thing is to prioritise my health an...