La Vuelta 2020: Ineos having ‘more fun’ as Chris Froome, Richard Carapaz and team embrace new style

ByTom Bennett

Updated 04/11/2020 at 21:31 GMT

Ineos Grenadiers DS Gabriel Rasch says the team are having more fun with the new tactical freedom at Grand Tours. Ineos again got a rider into the breakaway at La Vuelta, and the Director Sportif says that adventurous approach will continue.

Director Sportif Gabriel Rasch spoke to Eurosport’s Orla Chennaoui after Stage 14 of the Spanish Grand Tour, and says that the team will continue to try their hand in breakaways at this race.

Such an attacking, flamboyant style of racing was a feature of Ineos’ successful Giro d’Italia, where the team picked up seven stage victories and Tao Geoghegan Hart won the general classification.

And the Grenadiers have continued that style of riding in La Vuelta, allowing their riders to go into breakaways rather than focussing on controlling the peloton through a strong train – a tactic that was a hallmark of their racing throughout the last decade.

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“The plan today was to have somebody in the break, Dylan (van Baarle), Andre (Amador) or Chris (Froome),” the Ineos DS said.

Ineos are 'more fun' in 2020 - DS Rasch

“It’s important that we let everybody get their chances and that we are racing.

"That was the plan, and to protect Richie (Carapaz) as much as possible into the final climb there."

• La Vuelta 2020 Stage 14 - As it happened
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Richard Carapaz lies second in the general classification with four stages of the race remaining, very much in contention to beat Primoz Roglic to the title. And in the past Ineos would have played it safe on a stage such as Wednesday’s, protecting their leader with all the riders forming a strong group around him.

But this era at the team is different, and Rasch says the strengths of the likes of Carapaz and the skillsets of the riders around him means that the team will continue to ride in a ‘more fun’ way.

“I think now with all the young guys it’s a little bit different our style of racing, it opens up opportunities,” he said.

“With a rider like Richie he doesn’t need a whole train around him, so it’s a bit different.

“It’s more fun as well.”

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