Joaquin Rodriguez 'will leave Katusha' if Russian team miss out on World Tour
Last Updated: December 29, 2012 3:28pm
Joaquin Rodriguez: celebrates in Madrid during this year's Vuelta
Joaquin Rodriguez has said he will quit Katusha if the International Cycling Union do not retract their decision to reject the Russian team's application to be part of the 2013 World Tour.
Rodriguez told Spanish sports daily Marca: "If Katusha is not on the World Tour, I will change teams because I don't want to take a step backward."
Katusha has filed a suit with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to seek admittance to the World Tour.
However, if the UCI's decision is not overturned, then Katusha will have to rely on wild-card invitations to compete in the Tour de France and other important races.
The 33-year-old Rodriguez has been with Katusha since 2010.
In 2012, he was runner-up in the Giro d'Italia and finished third in the Spanish Vuelta.
