Eight riders in the sport’s history have won the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España across a career. If Tadej Pogačar’s name is in the leader’s red jersey on Sunday 13 September in Granada, he will be the ninth.

The Slovenian arrives in Monaco on Saturday as the prohibitive favourite, fresh off a record-equalling fifth Tour de France triumph on 26 July. His palmarès already includes the 2024 Giro d’Italia. The Vuelta is the only Grand Tour missing, and he has raced it just once, back in 2019, when he finished third with three stage wins and the white jersey as a 20-year-old.

His return was confirmed by UAE Team Emirates-XRG earlier this month.

“I’m excited to say I’m going back to La Vuelta. It was my first ever Grand Tour back in 2019 and an amazing experience,” Pogačar said in the team statement.

Read also: McGregor's next fight could be bare-knuckle: what happens when his UFC contract expires

Stage 1 through Pogačar’s home streets

The opening stage is a short individual time trial through Monaco, the principality Pogačar calls home. From the Place du Casino it climbs through the Fairmont Monte-Carlo hairpin, past the Larvotto and Port Hercule, and finishes on the Formula 1 start-finish straight.

Monaco becomes the first place to host the Grand Départ of all three Grand Tours. For Pogačar, it is also the road he trains on.

Vingegaard beat him to the milestone

The number nine is loaded because the number eight is fresh. Jonas Vingegaard became the eighth male rider to sweep the Grand Tours when he won the 2026 Giro d’Italia in Rome on 31 May, adding pink to the two Tours de France he took in 2022 and 2023 and the Vuelta he won in 2025.

“It’s amazing. It’s something I’ve dreamt of my whole life and to now be able to do it, it’s something special,” the Dane said after the Giro.

Read also: Duplantis stopped at 6.15m in Birmingham. His summer explains why he never went higher

Vingegaard will not be in Spain to defend his red jersey. He crashed out of the Tour de France on stage 15, broke his collarbone and ended his season to have surgery. Pogačar chases history without the man who owns the title he wants next.

Gall the biggest name on a short list

The list of credible spoilers is short and heavily conditional. Cycling Up To Date named Felix Gall, Oscar Onley, Mattias Skjelmose, Richard Carapaz and Primož Roglič as the five who could exploit a Pogačar mistake.

Gall arrives with the best claim after finishing second to Vingegaard at the Giro and beating Onley at the Vuelta a Burgos. Roglič would be the sentimental pick as a multiple Vuelta champion on the all-time list.

Pogačar’s own squad reads like another obstacle. UAE Team Emirates-XRG has lined up João Almeida, Jay Vine, Pavel Sivakov and Spanish climber Pablo Torres alongside him.

Read also: Mbappé makes bold Real Madrid promise: “That’s why I’m here”

After his fifth Tour de France, Pogačar told reporters he was already looking ahead to the next objective. Two weeks later that objective has a name: number nine.

Read also: Manchester United Forced to Alter New Third Kit After UEFA Intervention