"We need to be smart" - INEOS loose Carapaz as a GC possibility as Hart and Rodríguez show great form

INEOS Grenadiers came to the Vuelta a Espana with four possible GC cards. Their main, Richard Carapaz, has not been close to the form he's achieved at the Giro d'Italia, and is giving way to younger talents to test his legs.

“I would prefer a stage like this 100 times than the first five or six stages," Tao Geoghegan Hart said after completing the stage. "We had to find a balance between being patient, and using the team well, and not wasting them. We don’t have the best riders, we don’t have to impose ourselves. We need to be smart.”

The Ecuadorian had shown bad signs, but has lost today almost four minutes alone to the leading trio. Pavel Sivakov has also had a bad day, loosing over two after showing great signs across the opening week. Hart himself has been consistent and performing back at a high level, coming home in 11th place today and rising to fifth in the overall classification.

Perhaps more surprisingly however was that Carlos Rodríguez, a Grand Tour debutant, keeping up with Evenepoel, Roglic and Mas throughout most of the climb, and now sits ahead of Hart in the GC. “It was a good day for Carlos. We hope to keep getting better as the race goes on," Hart commented on his teammate.

The winner of the 2020 Giro has struggled in the last two years to find form, but seems to finally be back to his best level here at the Vuelta. “Stay healthy, and stay out of trouble. For me, if I am healthy, with my experience from the grand tours I’ve done … my level doesn’t change," he said, seemingly finding his way through the mishaps that have seen him underperform recently.

“That’s what I have to aim for, to stay healthy and just keep being smart to use the energy when it matters, and save your legs while you can," he concluded.