Tadej Pogacar will return to the Vuelta a Espana this year with the chance to win the only Grand Tour title missing from his collection.
UAE Team Emirates confirmed on Monday that the Slovenian, who has not competed in the race since 2019, will take part in the 21-stage event, which begins on 22 August.
The 27-year-old is expected to start as the leading favourite for the gruelling race, whose opening stages will begin in his home city of Monaco.
Pogacar first made a major impression on the international cycling stage at the 2019 Vuelta a Espana. He finished third overall and won three stages during his first Grand Tour appearance.
The race will be another major objective for Pogacar after his impressive victory in the Tour de France in July. A triumph in Spain would make him only the fourth rider to win the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in the same year.
It would also move him closer to a rare career achievement. Pogacar won the Giro d’Italia in 2024 and could become only the ninth rider in history to win all three Grand Tours.
“It’s true – he’s coming back,” UAE Team Emirates wrote on social media platform X when announcing his participation.
Pogacar said he was motivated by the prospect of returning to the race where he made his Grand Tour debut.
“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,” Pogacar told the UAE Team Emirates website.
“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.”
Pogacar will lead a strong UAE Team Emirates line-up, with Joao Almeida, Jay Vine, Pavel Sivakov, Pablo Torres, Kevin Vermaerke, Domen Novak and Ivo Oliveira also selected for the race.
His return comes after he established himself as one of the dominant riders of his generation. Alongside his Tour de France success, he has already claimed the Giro d’Italia and now has the opportunity to complete his set of Grand Tour victories.
The Vuelta a Espana will start on 22 August and will be contested over 21 stages.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
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