Ineos Grenadiers tie down ‘world class’ Carlos Rodriguez to four-year deal – ‘I’ve always felt at home here’

Ineos Grenadiers have tied down one of cycling’s rising stars Carlos Rodriguez on a new four-year contract with the Spaniard’s sights set on more glory at the Tour de France.

The 22-year-old, who joined Ineos in 2020, also secured a top-10 general classification finish in his only other Grand Tour to date by coming in seventh at the 2022 Vuelta a Espana.

“This team has felt like family from the moment I joined. I’ve always felt at home with the people here, they really took me in and made me feel welcome and valued,” Rodriguez said in a team statement.

“Over the coming years I hope to keep growing, not only as a professional cyclist, but as a person as well, for me everything is about continually learning how to be better. In turn, I hope to achieve good results more frequently and to keep gaining ground on the best riders in the peloton. I think that’s why this is the best place for me to continue to grow and to achieve great results.

“Since I was a boy I wanted to race the Tour de France; watching the race on TV I looked up to Team Sky hoping that one day I might be a part of this team. It was so special this year to race the Tour, for the first time, with the team I had always dreamt of being with – I find it hard to describe just how incredible that felt.”

Thomas signed a two-year extension on Monday in what he believes will be his last professional cycling contract.

The Welshman, 37, hinted that he could play more of a supporting role in the future to help Ineos rediscover Grand Tour glory after a few difficult years and that could be with Rodriguez as a team leader should his rapid rise continue.

Ineos’ deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth hailed the rider, nicknamed “the falcon”, as a world-class talent.

“We are thrilled to have Carlos extend his contract as a Grenadier until 2027,” said Ellingworth.

“He has shown remarkable growth and dedication during his time with us, and it’s been really rewarding for us to play a part in that.

“He took the step up from junior to elite level racing with the team with rarely seen maturity, and has really impressed everyone here. We believe he will play a significant role in the team’s future over the coming years – he’s truly world class.”