Katusha confirm Rodriguez for Vuelta a España

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Joaquim Rodriguez will lead Katusha at the Vuelta a España with the aim of securing overall victory. The Spaniard crashed out of the Giro d'Italia in May and rode the Tour de France in preparation of the third and final Grand Tour of 2014. 

Rodriguez was fourth overall last year at the Vuelta and was third in 2012. The 35-year-old has won eight stages at the race and was the mountains classification victor in 2005.

In an injury interrupted season, Rodriguez won the Volta a Catalunya earlier this year which is so far his sole victory of 2014 and will look to improve his palmarès during the three-week race,

Supporting Rodriguez will be compatriot Dani Moreno who was tenth overall at last year's Vuelta and has won three stages at the race. Alberto Losado is the third Spanish rider in Katusha's team

Giampaolo Caruso, who recently extended his contract with the team, will also line up in Jerez for the Vuelta on August 23 which will be his 12th career Grand Tour.

The team will take five Russian riders to the Vuelta with Sergei Chernetckii making his Grand Tour debut.

On the eve of the Vuelta a España on August 21st, the team will hold a pre-race press conference with Don José Loaiza García, President of the Council of Cádiz and Julián Redondo,Julián Redondo, President of the Spanish Association of the sports journalists (AEPD), to present Rodriguez with the trophy for the best Spanish cyclist of 2013.

Katusha for 2014 Vuelta a España: Joaquim Rodriguez, Giampaolo Caruso, Sergei Chernetckii, Alexander Kolobnev, Dmitriy Kozonchuk, Alberto Losada, Daniel Moreno, Iurii Trofimov, and Eduard Vorganov.