Ineos Grenadiers have chosen a group of younger however bold 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 total contender for Ineos. The 23-year-old Spaniard was seventh total within the Tour de France and sixth within the 2022 Vuelta. 24-year-old Arensman was sixth on the Giro d’Italia, whereas driving for Geraint Thomas and can share group management.
Also on the eight-rider roster are Kim Heiduk, Jhonatan Narváez, Laurens de Plus, Brandon Rivera and Oscar Rodríguez.
“This is a younger and dynamic group that has power and potential to problem for the GC, in addition to goal stage wins throughout quite a lot of terrains,” Ineos Performance Director Scott Drawer stated.
“The Vuelta might be some of the unpredictable Grand Tours due to the route, the warmth and the time within the season, so it all the time supplies good racing. The riders and the entire group are able to get caught in and provides it every little thing they’ve received.”
“We wish 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 is an enormous 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 is 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 crimson jersey.
The route of the Vuelta is filled with climbs and mountain finishes and by far probably the most climbing of the three Grand Tours 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 can 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 recuperate after which I began coaching little by little to attempt to preserve my form. I believe the physique is already recovered and I’m beginning to really feel extra like myself after being unwell for a while, Carlos Rodríguez stated.
“It’s the primary time that I’ll do two Grand Tours in a row, so it’s going to be a brand new expertise for me. I simply wish to benefit from the race as a lot as attainable, and it’s going to be particular with the crowds out on residence roads.
“We’re going into this with a powerful group, and we’ll battle to get the perfect consequence attainable each in GC and within the phases. Thymen and I’ve already raced and educated so much collectively, and for certain this can assist us handle the totally different conditions within the race in one of the best ways attainable.”
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