"Carlos Rodríguez is on the long list": INEOS targets Tour de France and Vuelta for returning Spaniard

After a lot of uncertainty, the plan for Carlos Rodríguez’s 2026 season has finally taken shape. INEOS Grenadiers has confirmed that the Spanish rider will return to racing next week at the Tour de la Provence, with the goal of targeting both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España later this year.

Rodríguez has not competed since July last year due to injuries he got during the last Tour de France, which forced him to abandon stage 18. Because he has been away for more than six months, and because INEOS signed big talents like Oscar Onley and Kevin Vauquelin, there were rumors that the 25-year-old might be losing his status in the team.

However, speaking to MARCA, the British team cleared up the mystery. They confirmed that Rodríguez is still a key part of their plans for the Grand Tours, although nothing is 100% guaranteed yet.

Imanol Erviti, one of the Sports Director at INEOS Grenadiers, explained that the team is planning for Rodríguez to race two Grand Tours, but it depends on how he recovers. "Carlos Rodríguez is on the long list of riders for the Tour de France. Possibly, he can also be at the Vuelta a España," Erviti said.

If he makes the team for the Tour de France in July, Rodríguez would likely share leadership with Onley and Vauquelin. Later in the season, at the Vuelta a España, he would probably have more freedom to fight for the general classification himself.

Before thinking about the big three-week races, Rodríguez needs to test his legs. His season will officially start in France at the Tour de la Provence next week (February 13-15). This will be his first race in over half a year.

After that, he has a busy schedule with some of the most important one-week races on the calendar: Paris-Nice (March 8-15) and Volta a Catalunya (March 23-30).

This schedule shows that INEOS still trusts the Spaniard to compete against the best riders in the world right from the start of his comeback. The Spaniard had a rough 2025, not winning any race, although he managed to finish in the top 10 of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné.