Tadej Pogačar, the five-time Tour de France champion who lives in Monaco, will ride the Vuelta a España this month, a race that begins in the Principality on 22nd August, as he attempts to complete a clean sweep of cycling’s three Grand Tours.
His team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, confirmed the news on Monday, ending weeks of speculation about whether the Slovenian would race so soon after winning a record-equalling fifth Tour de France in Paris on 26th July. It will be Pogačar’s first Vuelta in seven years: on his Grand Tour debut in 2019, aged 20, he won three stages, finished third overall and took the young rider’s classification.
The one that is missing
The Vuelta is the only Grand Tour Pogačar has yet to win, having already claimed the Tour five times and the Giro d’Italia in 2024. Victory in Spain would make him only the ninth rider in history to win all three. He will not have it easy, with a field expected to include the reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard and the double Olympic time-trial champion Remco Evenepoel, on a demanding route built around six summit finishes.
A home start in Monaco
For Monaco, the race is a considerable coup. The 81st Vuelta will open on 22nd August with a 9.6-kilometre individual time trial through the streets of the Principality, tracing the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit, with the second stage also setting off from Monaco the following day. The route then crosses France and Andorra before reaching Spain, finishing in Granada on 13th September rather than the traditional Madrid. It is the first time Monaco has hosted the start of the race, taking over from Turin, and the announcement was made at a press conference at One Monte-Carlo attended by Prince Albert II. Official festivities begin on 20th August.
“I’m excited to say I’m going back to La Vuelta,” said Pogačar, who described his 2019 debut as an amazing experience and the race as a major goal with which to end his season. He will be supported by a UAE line-up including João Almeida, Jay Vine and Pavel Sivakov.
The timing is tight: the Vuelta finishes just two weeks before the World Championships road race in Montreal on 27th September, where Pogačar will defend his title.
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Photo source: UAE Team Emirates