Cristián Rodríguez joins Bahrain Victorious until 2028

Cristián Rodríguez will join Bahrain Victorious in 2027 after signing a two-year contract through the end of 2028. The 31-year-old Spanish climber will leave XDS Astana after one season with the Kazakh WorldTour team.

The announcement comes during a strong Vuelta a España for Rodríguez, who sits eighth overall and is the second-highest Spanish rider behind race leader Enric Mas. He has finished third on stage 14 at Sierra de La Pandera and fifth on stage 9 at Alto de Aitana.

Bahrain Victorious expects Rodríguez to strengthen its climbing group for Grand Tours and mountainous stage races. His experience will allow him to support the team's general-classification leaders while also pursuing stage wins and overall results when opportunities arise.