Ineos Grenadiers have chosen a staff of younger however formidable riders for the Vuelta a España, with Josh Tarling, Carlos Rodriguez and Thymen Arensman main the squad.
20-year-old Tarling will make his Grand Tour debut and goal the time trial phases and particularly the opening 12km time trial in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday.
Carlos Rodriguez is the logical general contender for Ineos. The 23-year-old Spaniard was seventh general within the Tour de France and sixth within the 2022 Vuelta. 24-year-old Arensman was sixth on the Giro d’Italia, whereas using for Geraint Thomas and can share staff management.
Additionally on the eight-rider roster are Kim Heiduk, Jhonatan Narváez, Laurens de Plus, Brandon Rivera and Oscar Rodríguez.
“It is a younger and dynamic staff that has power and potential to problem for the GC, in addition to goal stage wins throughout quite a lot of terrains,” Ineos Efficiency Director Scott Drawer mentioned.
“The Vuelta might be one of the vital unpredictable Grand Excursions due to the route, the warmth and the time within the season, so it all the time offers good racing. The riders and the entire staff are able to get caught in and provides it all the things they’ve obtained.”
“We need to be aggressive and seize alternatives as they come up, whether or not that’s taking time on the GC with Carlos and Thymen, or stage wins with riders like Josh and Jhony.
“There’s a large alternative for us to take the chief’s jersey on stage one with Josh. He demonstrated but once more on the Paris Olympics, simply how sturdy he’s within the TT self-discipline.”
Tarling completed fourth within the Olympic time trial regardless of a puncture and bike change. He’s the present European champion and is unquestionably the favorite for the one-way shoreline 12km time trial. Victory would clearly give him the primary race chief’s pink jersey.
The route of the Vuelta is full of climbs and mountain finishes and by far probably the most climbing of the three Grand Excursions of 2024. The three weeks of racing begin within the Portuguese capital on Saturday August 17 and finish on Sunday September 8 in Madrid
Arensman and Rodriguez could have the assist of de Plus, Rivera, Heiduk and Rodriguez, whereas Narváez will go up in opposition to the likes of Wout Van Aert within the dash finishes.
“After the Tour I took some days off to get better after which I began coaching little by little to attempt to keep my form. I believe the physique is already recovered and I’m beginning to really feel extra like myself after being in poor health for a while, Carlos Rodríguez mentioned.
“It’s the primary time that I’ll do two Grand Excursions in a row, so it’s going to be a brand new expertise for me. I simply need to benefit from the race as a lot as attainable, and it’s going to be particular with the crowds out on house roads.
“We’re going into this with a robust staff, and we’ll battle to get the very best outcome attainable each in GC and within the phases. Thymen and I’ve already raced and educated quite a bit collectively, and for certain this can assist us handle the completely different conditions within the race in the easiest way attainable.”
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