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Follow us on GoogleWe already knew about almost all the teams, but the plans of INEOS Grenadiers remained somewhat vague. Apart from a press release and an exclusive press moment, it was somewhat unclear what the British team's ambitions were. Carlos Rodríguez, as in previous years, is the main leader, and he talked to Marca at the team presentation in Lille on Thursday.
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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.
Read more below the photo.
Rodriguez built steadily and is anxious about opening week
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.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026