Netcompany Ineos sports director Imanol Erviti has explained that the reason that stage racing speicalist Carlos Rodríguez is missing from their 2026 Tour de France lineup was linked to illness in early June and a "build-up that wasn't as straightforward as we'd have liked".
Rodríguez, who placed fifth overall in the 2023 Tour de France, had been earmarked among a trio of possible GC contenders for Ineos alongside Oscar Onley and Kévin Vauquelin – the three of them racing together for much of the season with a view to July.
