Tadej Pogačar will return to La Vuelta a España on Saturday for the first time in seven years as UAE Team Emirates-XRG target a second Grand Tour victory of the season.
The reigning world road champion arrives in Monaco less than a month after winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title. Victory in Spain would give Pogačar the one Grand Tour missing from his career and make him the ninth rider to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta.
His only previous appearance in the Spanish race came in 2019, when the then 20-year-old finished third overall and won three stages on his Grand Tour debut.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirmed Pogačar’s return and its eight-rider squad earlier this month.
“I’m excited to say I’m going back to La Vuelta,” Pogačar 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.”
João Almeida gives the UAE team another proven general classification rider after finishing second to Jonas Vingegaard at the 2025 Vuelta.
Jay Vine, winner of the Tour Down Under in January, joins Pavel Sivakov among Pogačar’s main climbing support. Spanish rider Pablo Torres will make his Grand Tour debut, with Kevin Vermaerke, Domen Novak and Ivo Oliveira completing the team.
Pogačar will start as one of the leading favourites, although the field includes four-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič.
Roglič chose not to ride this year’s Tour de France as he targeted a record fifth Vuelta title, although his preparation has been disrupted by a training crash during the summer.
Movistar will look to Enric Mas and Cian Uijtdebroeks, while Mikel Landa returns for Soudal Quick-Step. Félix Gall, Richard Carapaz and Mattias Skjelmose are among the other riders expected to challenge in the mountains.
One major name will be missing. Defending champion Vingegaard has ended his 2026 season after fracturing his collarbone during the Tour de France.
The official Vuelta route covers 3,275km across 21 stages between August 22 and September 13.
It starts with a technical 9.4km individual time trial through Monaco before the climbing begins early in the race.
Stage 7 finishes at Aramón Valdelinares after 149.8km, while Stage 9 provides one of the first major tests with a 22km final climb to Alto de Aitana at an average gradient of 5.8 per cent.
Calar Alto and Sierra de La Pandera follow during the second week, before the race reaches its decisive final stages in southern Spain. Stage 20 finishes on Collado del Alguacil, with the race ending in Granada the following day.
Pogačar already has the Giro and five Tours on his record. Three weeks in Spain will decide whether he can finally add the red jersey.
