Carapaz, after the gold comes the rust

Carapaz's gentle smile suddenly gives way to a sad look and a surprisingly harsh tone, which you wouldn't expect from a guy who just won gold. The Olympic champion speaks, the gold gets stained with rust, and controversy erupts in Ecuador.

«For me it is a special day – he says – that's why I'll enjoy it alone. I'm an athlete who left without the support of his country. In Ecuador, they never believed in me., so this gold belongs to me and to all those who helped me. I know that now everyone will want to celebrate this medal, but it belongs only to those who truly supported me."

Left alone

Suddenly they come back to memory Images of his return to Quito after winning the Giro d'Italia And that emotion is halted by this harshness. Carapaz doesn't retreat, but rather relaunches.

"In the end," he says, "they never believed in me, except for a few people. So now I'm here enjoying this gold, but we need to follow the athletes who truly deserve it. We had to find a masseur. We came alone. We took advantage of the staff. Ineos (the team in which Carapaz and Narvaez run, ed.) who was here with England and IrelandWe asked people for help with this, and they were the ones who really gave us a hand when we needed it."

Tough minister

Ecuador isn't doing well, between the economic crisis and the health crisis. There's a new president, Guillermo Lasso, elected on May 24th, but the road ahead is very long. So if anyone thought the gold medal won by the most beloved cyclist would help them forget about it, they'll soon have to reconsider their estimates. And the rust is starting to surface.

Sebastian Palacios, Minister of Sport who followed the delegation to Tokyo, admits the lack of technicians and staff and responds with a video.

"We're here to accompany the athletes," he says, "and monitor how the National Olympic Committee's coordination and logistics are being carried out. And unfortunately… We have seen things that have caught our attention, that worry us and make us indignant just as Carapaz was indignantAt a time when we have experienced one of the most incredible moments in the history of Ecuadorian sport and we are proud of the achievement and triumph of Richard Carapaz, after his statements as an athlete and cyclist, which I understand and share, there are Some things I know that should be clarified about Ecuador's participation in the Olympic Games».

Four years ago

The rift between these athletes and the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee is actually four years old. You can see this by following the exchange of tweets between Carapaz and Narvaez after the victory.

It all dates back to the 2017 Bolivarian Games, held in Santa Marta, ColombiaIt is written in a official announcement released publicly on November 13 of that year.

It states that the two, plus Caicedo (the winner of Etna 2020), were found drunk in a pizzeria after leaving the team's training camp. The Olympic Committee issued a statement that statement, which Narvaez must have kept in his phone ever sinceIt also says that The cyclists showed disrespect to the delegates who had gone to look for them. That they were forcibly taken back to the hotel, from which they were prevented from leaving. And that following the episode, the Committee's Ethics Commission requested the opening of disciplinary proceedings against them.

In his tweet, Narvaez jokes that now they will have a medal to add to the proceedings. While Carapaz tells him to think of something better and adds three emoticons with a smile, the gold medal and a mug of beer.

The Committee responds

The Olympic Committee, of course, responded. They wrote that they had issued the plane tickets and provided the two athletes with instructions for safe entry into Japan. Then they explained, also publishing the photos, that a delegation, including a doctor and a physiotherapist, met the cyclistsDr. Pablo Sarmiento issued a report on this matter.

«We proceeded to evaluate them – he writes – knowing that their European colleagues helped them with massages, but that they required decompression boots. Richard Carapaz received therapy for 45 minutesWe discussed their medical conditions before the competition, they said they felt fine, but that they needed a team to help them with hydration... ".

The doctor's report also states that after Carapaz's victory, the athletes indicated that they did not require medical assistance, but that the medical facility would still be available to them.

Gold and the Vuelta

There are grudges that are difficult to let go of, but fortunately the satisfaction of victory brought not only bitterness, but also true happiness.

"It's incredible," Carapaz said as he waited for the medal to be awarded. "It's still hard to digest. I'm very excited. I was convinced I had it in my legs. I tried it at the Tour, I wanted to win there too, but it was not possibleIt was a lottery here and I tried my best. There were two of us, and we tried to take advantage of each other's work. Narvaez was always very close to me, helping me and bringing me water.I knew McNulty was pedaling really hard and that I could take advantage of that. It was a smart attack. We started working together, and it was crucial. I was on the downhill, he was on the flat. In the end I knew I was the strongest and there was no need to attack. I just kept going, kept going, kept going, and at the finish line I was alone."

There are no images of Carapaz's return to Ecuador, but since the Olympic champion is expected at the Vuelta, he has probably decided to stay in Europe. It was definitely unexpected that the moment of the most beautiful victory could have such a aftermath of rust. It remains to be seen where exactly the truth lies and whether they will ever find a way to put it back together.