On 10 August, Ecuador commemorates the First Cry of Independence in Quito, the spark that ignited the continent’s struggle for freedom and earned the country the nickname Luz de América – the Light of America. Few modern sporting stories have illuminated Ecuador quite like the exploits of its cyclists at the Giro d’Italia. No nation has climbed from newcomer to protagonist of the Corsa Rosa with such remarkable speed.
Carapaz, from the Arena di Verona to Alpe d’Huez
Richard Carapaz paved the way in 2018 with victory at Montevergine di Mercogliano, delivering Ecuador’s first-ever Grand Tour stage win. Just twelve months later, the ‘Locomotive of Carchi’ reached the pinnacle of the sport. Two stage victories, a masterclass in Courmayeur and the Trofeo Senza Fine lifted in the Arena di Verona made him the first Ecuadorian to win the Giro d’Italia. His bond with the Maglia Rosa continued. In 2022 he wore the race leader’s jersey once again before finishing runner-up after a thrilling duel with Jai Hindley, while in 2025 he added a fourth Giro stage victory and another podium finish in Rome.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion arrives at this National Day celebration in magnificent form. At the Tour de France, which concluded last month, he claimed two iconic mountain victories — at Orcières-Merlette and, above all, atop the legendary Alpe d’Huez — secured his second King of the Mountains title after 2024, and equalled the all-time record with four combativity awards. The champion from El Carmelo continues to redefine his own limits.
Narváez, the record-breaking ‘Lagarto’
If Carapaz opened the door, Jhonatan Narváez has burst through it. The rider from Sucumbíos had already tasted Giro success with victories in Cesenatico in 2020 and, most memorably, on the opening stage of the 2024 edition in Turin, where he defeated none other than Tadej Pogačar to pull on the first Maglia Rosa of his career. Then came 2026: Narváez produced a performance unlike anything Ecuador had witnessed before, winning three stages in a single Giro d’Italia — Cosenza, Fermo and Chiavari — to complete a historic hat-trick. No Ecuadorian had ever achieved such a feat. With five career stage victories, the ‘Lagarto’ now stands alone as his country’s most successful stage winner in the world’s most beautiful race.
Different generations, different styles, one flag of yellow, blue and red flying proudly over the Giro d’Italia. And if history has taught us anything, it is that Ecuador’s greatest chapters in the Corsa Rosa may still lie ahead. Happy National Day, Ecuador!
