Fresh off his dominant Tour de France victory, The Guardian reports that Tadej Pogacar has officially confirmed his participation in the Vuelta a España, setting the stage for an ambitious attempt at a Grand Tour treble. The Slovenian star aims to match Jonas Vingegaard’s rare achievement of winning all three Grand Tours, a feat Vingegaard completed with his Giro d’Italia triumph in May.

According to The Guardian, Pogacar, a five-time Tour winner, will begin the Spanish Grand Tour when it starts in Monaco on August 22. His decision to target the Vuelta comes after hinting at the possibility midway through his successful Tour de France defence, despite initial concerns about fatigue.

“I’m excited to say I’m going back to La Vuelta,” Pogacar said. “It was my first-ever Grand Tour back in 2019 and an amazing experience. Spain is a country I love to visit and race in and I think the time is right to go back. The motivation is high to finish off the year in a good way and the Vuelta will be a big target. The team is strong and we hope to do good things.”

A return to where it began

As highlighted by The Guardian, the 2026 Vuelta marks a return to the race where Pogacar made his Grand Tour debut in 2019. That year, he announced himself as one of cycling’s brightest talents by finishing third overall behind Primoz Roglic while also claiming:

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• Three stage victories

• The best young rider classification

The Guardian adds that Pogacar’s return comes with Jonas Vingegaard expected to miss the remainder of the season as he continues recovering from the collarbone injury he suffered during the Tour de France.

A demanding route and packed schedule

According to The Guardian, the Vuelta a España route presents a stern challenge with eight mountain stages and more than 40km of individual time trials. The race begins with an individual time trial in Monaco before heading into the mountains of Andorra and following Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Major stages will pass through Córdoba, Málaga and Seville before concluding in Granada on September 13.

The Guardian also notes that Pogacar faces an intense schedule, with the World Road Race Championships in Montreal taking place just two weeks after the Vuelta ends on September 27. The demanding calendar has reignited discussions about rider workload and recovery.

After winning the Tour de France, Pogacar acknowledged the challenge ahead.

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“Right now, I don’t feel fresh enough to ride the Vuelta if it started tomorrow, but in two weeks I can still decide.”

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