Tadej Pogačar is unlikely to ride the Vuelta a España in 2026 and attempt to complete the set of Grand Tours, his team’s sports manager has said.
Speaking to Italian outlet SpazioCiclismo, Joxean Fernández Matxin said that the Vuelta was “not the most feasible option, considering the athlete’s physiology, in relation to the objectives”.
Instead, everything is centred around a fifth Tour de France victory, which would put Pogačar on the same level as Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Induráin and Jacques Anquetil. Pogačar has already won a Giro d’Italia, so the Vuelta remains as one of the biggest races he is yet to claim.
“If you’re interested in the World Championships, it means doing a period of preparation at altitude before the Tour, between the months of May and June, but that would mean missing out on Liège[-Bastogne-Liège] and other races.”
While Pogačar has won so much, including 20 races this year, there remain historic events yet to claim; along with the Vuelta, there is Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie, and Itzulia Basque Country.
