Andrey Amador will follow Richard Carapaz from Ineos Grenadiers to EF Education-EasyPost for the 2023 season. Amador previously raced by Carapaz’s side at Movistar and moved with the Ecuadorian to Ineos in early 2020.
“I define myself as a rider who can give support in the best and worst moments,” Amador said in a statement released by his new team on Monday.
“If I have something, then I give it all and I give my best for the team. I sacrifice myself. Not only that, but I will aim for everything that I can reach.”
The Costa Rican turned professional with Caisse d’Epargne (later Movistar) in 2009 after catching the eye with fifth overall in the previous year’s Tour de l’Avenir. His greatest individual success has come at the Giro d’Italia.
“The Giro is a big thing for me, and I love it,” said Amador, who soloed to victory at Cervinia in 2012 and then finished fourth overall in 2015. A year later, he wore the maglia rosa for a day en route to eighth overall in Turin.
Amador was a key domestique for Carapaz when he claimed overall victory at the 2019 Giro and he would follow his teammate to Ineos in February of the following year after extricating himself from his contract at Movistar.
The 35-year-old has not raced a Grand Tour since that maiden season with Ineos, when he lined up alongside Carapaz at both the Tour and the Vuelta a España.
“Amador is an anchor rider, meaning he anchors the team in terms of getting the hard work done,” said EF Education-EasyPost manager Jonathan Vaughters.
“He is incredibly experienced. He has been top-ten in multiple grand tours. He is a very capable rider with a big engine in this part of his career. So what he is bringing to us is experience.”
EF Education-EasyPost confirmed the arrival of Carapaz on a three-year deal on Friday, shortly before the Ecuadorian began his final Grand Tour for Ineos at the Vuelta.
