Richard Karapas hailed his first season with Team Ineos Grenadiers as a huge success, saying he feels like he has been with the British team for five years and has his sights set on the yellow jersey at the Tour de France.

The Ecuadorian native returned to his native country this week after a 2020 campaign in Europe that included a Tour de France debut and a runner-up finish at the Vuelta a España.

He spoke at a press conference at a welcome event inside the police headquarters in Tulcan, in his home province of Calci.

"It was a special year for me," said Kalapas, who won the 2019 Giro d'Italia and joined Ineos from Movistar at the beginning of the year.

"It's been a spectacular season because I've adapted so quickly, I feel like I've been on the team for five years. I don't know if it looks that way from the outside, but I already feel like a veteran."

"We have achieved so much success in such a short time, imagine what we can achieve in three or five years. It's a long-term project, and we have the ability, motivation, dreams, and desire to accomplish great things."

Kalapas began his 2020 campaign in South America at the Tour Colombia, and when the season resumes in August, he will set his sights on Europe. He was scheduled to defend his Giro title, but was switched to the Tour de France in a swap with Geraint Thomas, and the Giro title was eventually won by Ineos' Tao Geoghegan Hart.

He was unable to take the polka-dot jersey in the attack after Egan Bernal retired, but he did finish arm-in-arm with Michal Kwiatkowski on stage 18 for a memorable stage win.

Calapaz then competed in the Vuelta, where he rode consistently to finish second behind Primoš Roglic. Despite a dangerous attack on the final day at La Covatilla, he was unable to take the red jersey he had worn earlier in the race, but he had no regrets.

"It's a huge achievement. I lost to the best in the world, but for me it confirms that I can keep dreaming big, keep challenging myself, and keep rubbing shoulders with the best in the world."

Calapaz said that his confidence extends to his victory in the Tour de France, which he said would be Ecuador's first Grand Tour victory, following his first Grand Tour victory in the Giro. He said his debut this year was not simply a replacement for Thomas, but a "footprint" for the future.

According to El Universo, "I know I have the ability to dream of the title. I am convinced of that and that is my new goal for the near future."

The possibility of Calapaz, who shares a team with 2019 Tour winner Egan Bernal and 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas, challenging for yellow in 2021 appears to have been undermined by the Olympics, however. With the Tokyo road race taking place just six days after the final stage of the Tour, there is little time to recover from Tour fatigue and jet lag from the trip to East Asia.

"For me, the Olympics are a big goal. Not only as an athlete, but also as an Ecuadorian, because it's a great opportunity to defend the colors of the national flag," Carapaz said. [It's not just about representing a brand or an individual, it's about representing an entire country. It's a big challenge for me."

Calapaz said he would wait to finalize his plans until all three Grand Tour routes had been revealed.