Last-minute reveal: INEOS leader Carlos Rodriguez shares his plans for the Tour de France

Rodriguez, who is still only 24 years old, has an impressive track record in grand tours. Since his debut in the 2022 Vuelta a España, he has finished in the top ten in all of his three-week stage races. In that same Vuelta, he finished seventh; in 2023, he finished fifth in his Tour debut (with a stage win), and last season, he finished seventh in the Tour and tenth in the Vuelta a España.

The fact that Rodriguez has not necessarily impressed this season hardly means anything. “I haven't encountered any problems in my preparation in recent months, and I'm in good shape. I've been able to do everything I could, and in that sense, I'm satisfied. Now all I can do is hope that the Tour goes well,” said the climber, who crashed in the UAE Tour earlier this year and broke his collarbone.

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After his rehabilitation, Rodriguez worked on his form. He returned at the end of April and finished sixth in the Tour de Romandie, and a month later, he was ninth in the Critérium du Dauphiné. In recent years, he has always won a stage in the run-up to the Tour, but now he has time to grow into the race. “It will be a tough, exhilarating first week. We will try to survive, then our terrain will come.”

Many climbers will look forward to the first ten days, full of sprints, punches, wind, and technical courses, with anxious anticipation. From day 12 onwards, it will be climbing, and we will hardly stop climbing. INEOS hopes to be ready, although the team certainly will not dive in carelessly. “Against such strong opponents, it often makes no sense to try; we just take it day by day.”

Rodriguez's goal is to match, and perhaps even improve upon, his fifth-place finish in 2023. “It's very difficult to pinpoint a specific place because it doesn't just depend on me. I want to arrive in Paris feeling that I've done everything I can. With Pogacar and Vingegaard there, it will be very difficult, but we're going to give it our best effort. I think I'm in good shape.”