Will Carlos Rodríguez lead INEOS Grenadiers at Tour de France? "I will be starting in Florence in the best shape possible"

The announcement of the INEOS Grenadiers lineup for the 2024 Tour de France was one of the most anticipated. The British team has finally decided to bring a star-studded squad with Carlos Rodriguez, Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal and Tom Pidcock as the most prominent names. However, this fact has caused many to wonder who exactly is going to be the leader in the fight for the general classification.

The choice of Carlos Rodriguez as the leader of the INEOS Grenadiers team is the most logical one. The Spaniard was one of the best in the 2023 edition of the Tour de France, finishing 5th overall and with a stage win in his pocket ahead of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. Considering his excellent level this season, in the 2024 Grande Boucle he is aiming to improve on last year's result, aiming for the podium in the final general classification as his main objective.

The Spanish climber, only 23 years of age, has won the queen stages of Itzulia Basque Country and Criterium du Dauphiné and finished amongst the first in both. He also won the Tour de Romandie and has appeared very strong in the hardest stages of all stage-races. That could be a great sign towards the Tour de France, a race that will have plenty brutal days in it's last half. 

"My preparation has gone well so far, and I feel confident that I will be starting in Florence in the best shape possible," Rodríguez said in an interview with CyclingWeekly. "I had a good training block at the end of last year and a great altitude camp in January.

"I had a slower start to the year than I wanted but have turned that around and the legs are now feeling good, and my body is responding well. I think that shows that the plan has worked, and we have done things in the right way and in the right order."