Ineos Grenadiers will lead the lineup for the Vuelta a España, with Richard Kalapas leading a youthful team that includes four Grand Tour debuts.

Carapas, a native of Ecuador who was runner-up in the Giro d'Italia earlier in the season and the 2020 Vuelta, will be aiming for the overall title in his final Grand Tour with the British team.

He will be flanked by the in-form Pavel Sivakov and Tao Geoghegan Hart in what will be his first Grand Tour after a tough season.

Dylan Van Baarle adds support and experience, but the rest of the team is made up of a new generation of young talent, mostly from the Ineos Grenadiers.

Half of the team is running the three-week race for the first time: Ethan Hayter, Luke Plapp, Carlos Rodriguez, and Ben Turner.

"Our team for the Vuelta is really exciting. We have a great mix of experience and youth, and we believe we can have a great race," said deputy team principal Rod Ellingworth.

Kalapas, who will join EF Education Easypost in 2023, has been on the podium in all three Grand Tours during his three seasons with Ineos and will be looking to win. He returned from the Giro two weeks ago only to lose the pink jersey to Jai Hindley in the final climb.

Sivakov, who also raced the Giro, recently won the Vuelta a Burgos and finished second in the Clasica San Sebastian.

"Ritchie is an experienced winner and finished second in 2020. We look forward to Richie using his experience to lead the team in what will no doubt be a very exciting edition of the Vuelta as we race to Madrid," Ellingworth said.

"I believe that Dylan, Pavel, and Tao will provide valuable experience and deliver some great moments in the final Grand Tour of a great season.

Ineos Grenadiers has invested heavily in young talent in recent years, and many of them will get a chance to shine and progress at the 2022 Vuelta a España.

Hayter will turn pro in 2020, and his next step is to compete in the Grand Tours. He was named to the team's long list for the Tour de France, but missed out.

He has won 15 races in the past two and a half seasons, specializing in uphill sprints and time trials.

Rodriguez turned pro from Ineos in 2020, and although he is only 21, he has performed well beyond his years this season, with top-10 finishes in Valencia, Ruta del Sol, and Route d'Occitanie In June, he won the Spanish road race title, and in May, he won the Clásica San Sebastián, the Spanish road race title, and the Clásica San Sebastián title, fifth at the Clasica San Sebastián and fourth at the Vuelta a Burgos, showing his strong pre-Vuelta form.

Plapp, also 21, had a standout debut season as a pro, finishing in the top 10 overall at the Tour de Romandie and on the podium at the Tour of Norway. Meanwhile, 23-year-old Neo Pro Turner emerged this spring with Ineos' new Classics team.

"Having four Grand Tour debut riders in Carlos, Luke, Ethan, and Ben reinforces our belief in the quality of our young riders. 31]

." All four have impressive runs in 2022 and this will be the next big step in their development at the highest level."

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Ineos Grenadiers in the Vuelta a España

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