Ineos youngster Carlos Rodríguez wins Spanish road race title
21-year-old solos to first elite national title
Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) continued his breakthrough season with a first national title, soloing to victory at the Spanish championship road race on Sunday.
The 21-year-old, who won a stage of the Tour of the Basque Country as well as a number of stage racing top-fives, was a cut above the rest on the hilly Mallorca circuit.
He crossed the line 51 seconds ahead of anyone else, with Jesús Herrada getting the better of Alex Aranburu in a two-up sprint for second place.
There was more than a minute back to the next finisher, with Ayuso leading home a six-man group at 2:04.
After a flat start, the 186km race came down to four laps of a 21km circuit that reached 2,500 metres of elevation gain thanks to the repeat climbs up the 6km Col de Sa Creu.
On the penultimate ascent, Rodríguez, after responding to attacks with apparent ease, forced the pace and split the group down to six. When they came around for the final ascent, he hit the pedals again and went clear, never to be seen again.
He dived down the descent and held his advantage to give himself time to celebrate in the home straight, earning the right to wear the Spanish champion's jersey in his expected Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España later this year.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Criterium racer Michael Hernandez first Orlando police officer to take down suspected shooter Thursday night
REIGN Storm Racing team captain began new job with Orlando Police Department this spring -
'You never know what next year brings' – Primoz Roglič not letting Pogačar's dominance douse Tour de France dream
'I always, obviously like to win' said Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider, schedule for 2025 yet to be mapped out -
What's coming on Cyclingnews this November
From cycling shows and season-ending criteriums to deep dives into WorldTour salaries and WADA's prohibited list -
Hunt starts the Black Friday madness early with up to 35% off selected road wheelsets
UK wheel brand Hunt brings its 'Biggest Sale of the Year' so grab a 'wheelie' good deal while you can