Absent due to injury

Ecuadorian climber from Movistar Team unable to recover in time from significant contusion to his right shoulder, after crashing at a criterium in the Netherlands last Sunday. José Joaquín Rojas will replace him in Torrevieja on Saturday.

The Movistar Team confirmed Thursday that Richard Carapaz will not take the start of the 74th Vuelta a España, which begins in Alicante on Saturday, despite being part of the lineup originally announced.

The Ecuadorian rider suffers from a significant contusion in his right shoulder, as well as several bruises, after a crash sustained in the Profronde van Etten-Leur criterium in the Netherlands, last Sunday. In spite of treatment received all over the week and the lack of fractures, the injury’s evolution has advised for further precautions to allow it healing completely, which rules out against his appearance in the race.

José Joaquín Rojas, initially designated as a reserve for the Blues in the Vuelta and already in Alicante since Wednesday, will be part of an eight-man roster which also includes Valverde, Quintana, Soler, Erviti, Pedrero, Arcas and Oliveira.