“I hope to defend myself better" – Rodriguez refuses to give in despite disappointing Tour de France so far

As the Tour de France 2025 reaches its first rest day, Carlos Rodríguez finds himself in recovery mode after a challenging start to the race. The INEOS Grenadiers leader struggled through the opening stages, losing time early and falling behind the top contenders.

Now sitting 12th overall, just 41 seconds outside the top 10, Rodríguez is looking ahead with more optimism. A stronger performance on Stage 10 allowed him to climb three spots in the standings, and he believes the terrain ahead offers a chance to turn things around.

“Maybe I have left some time, maybe more than I wanted,” he told SER’s Borja Cuadrado. “I would like to be much closer to the first, but well, now comes my field, where I hope to defend myself better and take advantage of the opportunities that are occur.”

The Spaniard has yet to race on terrain that suits him best. With the Pyrenees and Alps still to come, his focus will shift to the long, punishing climbs where he's proven his strength in the past.

While Rodríguez claims to be riding without specific goals, the expectations that come with leading INEOS are clear. After a stage win two years ago, and a growing reputation as a Grand Tour threat, simply surviving the mountain stages won’t be enough. He’ll need to attack, and take back time, if he wants to cement a place in the top 10 or higher.