Romandie victory marks Ineos return to stage race success

Carlos Rodríguez wins British team's first WorldTour stage race since 2022, writes Adam Becket

- Adam Becket

In 2023, Ineos Grenadiers did not win a single WorldTour stage race. The once pre-eminent stage racing team appeared to be ceding their mantle to Visma-Lease a Bike, UAE Team Emirates and Bora-Hansgrohe.

This year began in a similar fashion, with solid results but still no one on the top step at a stage race. That all changed last weekend, though, as Carlos Rodríguez won the Tour de Romandie, to mark the team's first WorldTour stage race victory since the 2022 Tour of Poland.

Romandie, which has previously been won by Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas all racing for the same squad, has proved to be a happy hunting ground for Team Sky, now Ineos, and has also served as a useful staging post for future races.

Rodríguez, who has finished in the top 10 of both the Vuelta a España and Tour de France, will hope that this victory marks bigger things to come.