Carlos Rodríguez has secured his future in the peloton for the coming seasons. The Almuñécar rider has extended his contract with Netcompany INEOS through 2029, according to MARCA, after renewing a deal months ago that was initially due to expire in 2027.

The extension rules out any move to Movistar Team in the short or medium term, following Javier Romo’s departure for the British team. At 25, the Spanish rider can now approach the next challenges of his career knowing he will remain with the British squad, where he has spent his entire professional career.

The extension is another sign of confidence in one of Spain’s leading talents for stage races. Rodríguez joined the team in 2020 from the junior ranks of Polartec-Kometa, moving straight from the junior category to the top level. Since then, he has claimed major victories and results that have established him among the Spanish riders with the greatest potential to contend for Grand Tour general classifications.

His continued presence also forms part of a project set to feature an increasingly strong Spanish contingent. Next season, Rodríguez will be part of the same structure as Beloki, Óscar Rodríguez, Javi Romo and Benjamín Noval. His contract extension through 2029 ensures he will remain part of that medium-term plan.

Carlos Rodriguez's standout moment

Carlos Rodríguez’s standout moment came at the 2023 Tour de France. The Andalusian won a stage in Morzine ahead of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, and finished fifth overall. That result confirmed his ability to compete at the highest level over three weeks and strengthened expectations that he could become one of the leading figures in the future of Spanish cycling.

He continued to progress in 2024, winning the overall title at the Tour de Romandie and finishing second at the Itzulia, where he also claimed a stage victory. He added another win at the Critérium du Dauphiné, cementing his reputation as a rider capable of performing in the mountains and in one-week stage races.

His palmarès also includes the 2022 Spanish National Championship, a stage win at that year’s Itzulia and another at the 2023 Tour of Britain. Those results explain INEOS’s decision to keep him on its roster and give him time to return to the forefront of the international calendar.

However, his 2026 campaign has been far less impressive. Second place at the Tour de la Provence was his best result in a general classification, while he finished fourth at the Tour of Austria and 12th at the Tour de Romandie. He also struggled to challenge for the positions he had reached in his strongest seasons at the top-level races.

Rodríguez finished 23rd at Paris-Nice, 26th at the Volta a Catalunya and 20th at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. He also placed 36th at the Vuelta a España, well away from the fight for the overall title. The results make next season an important opportunity to regain consistency and rediscover the form that brought him stage wins and top finishes in major races.

Carlos Rodríguez at the 2026 Vuelta

A contract through 2029 as he continues to develop in a Spanish-led INEOS team

The extension gives him continuity in an environment he has known since turning professional. Rodríguez will turn 26 in 2027 and has three more seasons with the British team, giving him valuable time to work on his return to form and target ambitious goals again.

The team will also have a stronger Spanish presence. Carlos Rodríguez will be joined by Beloki, Óscar Rodríguez and Javi Romo, as well as Benja Noval, whose contract extension will be formalised soon. The group of Spanish riders adds another dimension to a project in which the Granada-born rider remains one of the key long-term prospects.

Rodríguez’s challenge will be to turn that stability into results. His victories and fifth place at the 2023 Tour de France showed he can compete with the best, but the 2026 season has left him with the task of rediscovering that form. With a contract through 2029, he has time to do so without his immediate future hinging on a single campaign.

INEOS has reaffirmed its faith in a rider who knows the structure inside out and still has room to develop. Next season will mark the start of a new chapter for Rodríguez, as he looks to regain prominence and make the most of the stability offered by a contract that runs through 2029.