Geraint Thomas will be joined by Egan Bernal and Filippo Ganna in a strong Ineos Grenadiers squad for the Vuelta a España, which gets underway in Barcelona on August 26.
The Welshman leads the team’s general classification challenge after placing second overall at the Giro d’Italia in May.
The Ineos squad for the Vuelta also includes Laurens De Plus, Omar Fraile, Thymen Arensman, Jonathan Castroviejo and Grand Tour debutant Kim Heiduk.
Thomas’ lone appearance at the Vuelta came in 2015, when he finished a lowly 69th overall having placed 15th at the Tour de France the previous month. The 37-year-old indicated his intention to target this year’s Vuelta in Rome on the final day of the Giro.
“I’m really looking forward to going back to La Vuelta. Hopefully it’ll be better than 2015 - which was horrific - it wasn’t the most enjoyable Grand Tour that I’ve ever done,” Thomas said.
“I’m going there to try and get the best result possible for the team. It will be nice to go for some stages and the GC as well, and just see how I’m doing after the first half of the race.”
Thomas led the Giro into the final weekend, but he was divested of the maglia rosa by Primož Roglič in the dramatic time trial up Monte Lussari on stage 20.
Roglič will be joined by Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard in a strong Jumbo-Visma team in Spain, while defending champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) are also among the contenders for final overall victory.
“It’s going to be a cracking field,” said Thomas, who warmed up for the Vuelta by placing 47th at the Tour de Pologne and 10th in the Worlds time trial.
“That’s what motivates you as well, knowing that all the best guys are going to be there, so the goal is to go and do your best and hopefully come out on top; but it’s certainly going to be tough.
“The bigger the challenge the more excited you get and the more you want to put into it and try to do well. Having everyone there is going to make it a great race and the whole team we’ve got preparing for the Vuelta will get everyone up and motivated; we’re all looking forward to getting started.”
There is no place in the Vuelta line-up for Carlos Rodriguez, who placed seventh overall on his debut a year ago and fifth at last month’s Tour. The Spaniard’s contract with Ineos expires at the end of this year and he has been linked with a move to Movistar.
Bernal returns to the Vuelta for the first time since he finished sixth overall in 2021. The Colombian is continuing his comeback from the life-threatening injuries he suffered in a training crash at the start of last year, and he lines out at the Vuelta just weeks after completing the Tour in 36th place.
“I’m really happy to be selected for the Vuelta this year, I’m finishing off a good training block at home in Colombia and feeling super-motivated to get back out racing again,” Bernal said.
“When I think back to the beginning of the year, I wasn’t sure where I was going to be at this point in time; I dreamt of doing the Tour and the Vuelta, so this selection means a lot. As you all know, it’s a long comeback process and I’m just so happy my body has improved so much that I’m going to take to the start line of another great three week race this year.”
As expected, Ganna is also included in the Vuelta line-up after abandoning the Giro with COVID-19.
The Italian powered to gold in the individual pursuit at the Glasgow World Championships and took silver in the individual time trial behind Evenepoel.
“I’ve had a good year, but it was disappointing to have to abandon the Giro due to illness and that’s given me added motivation ahead of the final Grand Tour of the year,” he said.
Ineos for the Vuelta a España (August 26-September 17): Thymen Arensman (Ned), Egan Bernal (Col), Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa), Laurens De Plus (Bel), Omar Fraile (Spa), Filippo Ganna (Ita), Kim Heiduk (Ger), Geraint Thomas (GBr).
