A cunningly calculated downhill attack by 22-year-old Carlos Rodriguez on stage 14 of the Tour de France put him on the provisional podium and gave Ineos Grenadiers its second win in two days.

Rodriguez, making his first Tour de France appearance, was dropped by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) and Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) on the joupline during the climb. Rodolphe, however, had another contact with Pogachar's teammate Adam Yates just after the summit.

Rodriguez's downhill attack never allowed him to gain more than a few seconds, but he succeeded in keeping the gap close enough for Spain to claim its third win in five days, following Michal Kwiatkowski's victory.

Rodriguez's first Grand Tour stage victory, the biggest of his career, also allowed him to move into third place overall. Along with the UAE's Juan Ayuso, who finished third at the age of 19 in last year's Vuelta a España, this prestigious victory confirms that the young Andalusian is one of Spain's two biggest Grand Tour hopefuls.

"I was focused on doing the best climb at my pace and going down as fast as possible," Rodriguez said after the race.

"Pogachar and Vingegaard climbed super fast and started looking at each other. My fight wasn't with them

"They were very fast, but I didn't take any risks, I didn't expect them to be so sharp in the second and third corners, it was close, but I got through.

"I've always been good downhill so I tried to use that to my advantage. Once I got away, my goal was to finish as quickly as possible."

As for his chances of a podium in Paris, he said, "I don't know. The other racers are pretty strong, so I'll just take it one day at a time. I just want to focus on enjoying the race and doing as many stages as I can."

A journalist commented to him that winning the most difficult stage of the Tour de France could usher in a new era in Spanish cycling, but Rodriguez kept his feet on the ground.

"I am very happy with this victory, but I need to see that my legs keep responding. I just want to enjoy it because you can't win a stage of the Tour de France every day.

While emphasizing his gratitude to his team, he dedicated this victory to his "parents and family who have supported me since I was a kid. Without them it wouldn't have been possible."