At the age of just 21, the immensely talented Irish cyclist Darren Rafferty will compete in his first Grand Tour when as he gets selected for the EF Education-EasyPost team for the Vuelta a España.

The cyclist from Dungannon became victorious in the June 23 Irish national road race championship and has been a standout performer for the American WorldTour team this season.

His main goal will be to support former Olympic champion Richard Carapaz in achieving the best results possible in the race; but, he may also have opportunities on specific stages, contingent on the outcome of the race.

"I'm both anxious and excited. This Grand Tour will be my first. I'm heading in with the lovely responsibilities of supporting the group and observing Carapaz's potential. I hope we can give it our all for him. Being able to ride for Richie is an honour.

Carapaz had a great Tour de France, winning the King of the Mountains race in addition to winning a stage while wearing the yellow jersey.

In his first season on the squad, Rafferty has supported several designated leaders during his races.

In addition, he has shown great performance, placing second in the O Gran Camiño stage in February and sixth in the Trofeo Laigueglia that same month.

Additionally, he was among the top eight riders in six events, including the June Critérium du Dauphiné, according to the best young rider ranking.