A cunningly calculated downhill attack on stage 14 of the Tour de France has allowed 22-year-old Carlos Rodríguez to claim a breakthrough victory that simultaneously propels the young Spaniard onto the provisional podium and nets Ineos Grenadiers their second win in two days.
Riding his first ever Tour de France, Rodríguez was dropped on the Joux Plane by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) halfway up the ascent. But the Spaniard then regained contact with Pogačar’s teammate Adam Yates just after the summit.
Rodríguez’ downhill attack never saw him gain more than a handful of seconds, yet he managed to keep the two top GC contenders at just enough distance to follow up Michal Kwiatkowski’s victory with a win of his own and Spain’s third in five days.
By far the biggest triumph of his career, Rodríguez’ first Grand Tour stage victory also allowed him to move up to third overall. Together with UAE’s Juan Ayuso, third in the Vuelta a España last year aged 19, such a prestigious triumph confirms the young Andalusian as one of the two next big Grand Tour hopes for Spain.
“I was focussed on doing the best climb I could, going at my own pace, and then descending as fast as possible,” Rodríguez said afterwards.
“Pogačar and Vingegaard went up super-fast and then started looking at each other, I took advantage of that, that’s why I could reach them. My battle was not with them.”
“I was going very fast, but without taking risks. It was close in a couple in a couple of corners that I didn’t expect to be so sharp, but I got through them ok.”
“I’ve always been pretty good on descents, I tried to use it to my favour. Once I’d got away, my aim was just to get to the finish as quick as possible.”
Regarding his chances of making it onto the podium in Paris, he said “I don’t know, I’m not overly worried. The rest of the riders are quite strong too, so I’ll it take it day by day, and not get too obsessed with that third spot. I have to focus on enjoying the race and do the stages as well as I can.”
His victory in the hardest stage of the Tour de France so far could mark a new era for Spanish cycling, one journalist commented to him, but Rodríguez kept his feet on the ground.
“I’m very happy to get this win, but I need to see the legs could go on responding, I just want to enjoy it because you don’t win a Tour de France stage every day.”
While emphasising his gratefulness to his team, he dedicated the win to “my parents and my family for all the support I’ve had since I was a kid. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
