Carapaz prepares to leave EF and is tipped to join Andrés Iniesta’s NSN in 2027

Richard Carapaz is very close to being one of the important signings in the cycling market of 2027. The Ecuadorian, who still has a contract with EF Education-EasyPost for the upcoming season, would have reached an agreement to join the NSN Cycling Team, the Spanish-Swiss project linked to Andrés Iniesta. His departure would mean the early end of a four-year stint with the American team.

An unexpected exit that has been brewing for months

The information comes from the Dutch media WielerFlits, which claims to have verified the operation with several sources. According to this publication, NSN has outperformed INEOS Grenadiers and Pinarello Q36.5, the other two teams that had shown interest in signing the Olympic champion and winner of the 2019 Giro d'Italia.

Although the existence of a contract until the end of 2027 seemed to guarantee Carapaz's continuity, rumors about his future began to circulate during the summer. In August, former sports director Johan Bruyneel surprised by stating in the podcast The Move that it was very likely that the Ecuadorian would change teams. He did not want to reveal his possible destination but insisted that the information he had went beyond mere speculation.

Shortly after, reports about the interest of three teams placed INEOS, Pinarello Q36.5, and NSN as possible destinations. A return to the British structure, where he competed between 2020 and 2022, was one of the options being considered.

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However, it would ultimately be NSN that managed to convince the rider.

Behind this operation could be two circumstances. On one hand, the budgetary constraints that, according to WielerFlits, EF Education-EasyPost is facing. On the other, Carapaz's interest in leveraging his excellent results from 2026 to negotiate a new contract.

It is still unknown how his contractual relationship with EF would be resolved, whether there would be any financial compensation for his departure, and for how many seasons he would sign with NSN.

Carapaz would leave after one of his best years

The possible farewell comes precisely when the Ecuadorian has once again demonstrated that he remains one of the great references of the international peloton.

His season started off complicated. The death of his mother was compounded by a surgical intervention in April that prevented him from competing in the Giro d'Italia, one of his main objectives.

However, his return to competition was brilliant. In June, he finished second in the overall of the Tour de Suisse and, a few weeks later, turned the Tour de France into the great showcase of his recovery.

Carapaz won two mountain stages, in Orcières-Merlette and Alpe d'Huez, claimed the mountain jersey for the second time, and received the award for the most combative rider of the Tour de France 2026.

His performance did not decline after the French round. He finished second in the Clásica de San Sebastián, where he lost the victory to Remco Evenepoel, and later finished fourth in the overall classification of the Vuelta a España.

He ultimately withdrew from the World Championship in Montreal due to fatigue, meaning that the Vuelta could have been his last competition in the colors of EF Education-EasyPost.

His record since joining the team in 2023 includes three stage wins in the Tour, two mountain classifications in the French round, one stage win in the Giro, and third place in the overall of the Giro d'Italia 2025.

NSN prepares a very different team for 2027

Beyond the surprise of a possible contract break, the signing would fit into the deep sports transformation that NSN Cycling Team is undergoing. The formation, born from the collaboration between the representation company Never Say Never, co-founded by Andrés Iniesta, and the investment firm Stoneweg, is building a roster with much greater aspirations in the grand tours.

So far, Biniam Girmay was their main media and sports reference, especially for sprints and classics. However, the planned additions for 2027 point to a significant change in ambitions.

The team has already confirmed the arrival of Santiago Buitrago, who has signed until 2029, and Belgian Lennert Van Eetvelt, two climbers capable of competing for general classifications. They are joined by Kasper Asgreen, winner of the 2021 Tour of Flanders and also coming from EF Education-EasyPost.

The addition of Carapaz would give NSN an experienced leader with proven results in the three grand tours. For EF, on the other hand, it would mean losing one of their main leaders and one of the riders who has given them the most prominence over the last few seasons.