Alberto Contador urges Tadej Pogacar to return to the Vuelta a Espana: "He has to put it in his palmares, it's the only one he lacks"
Cycling
Despite being only 26 years old, Tadej Pogacar is already in the discussion of the greatest cyclists of all time. He may still be behind Eddy Merckx, but he doesn't have much to envy any of the others. To top it off, in 2024 he completed simply the best individual season in history, or at least one of them.
The Slovenian has won the Giro d'Italia, added a third Tour de France, took a Rainbow Jersey at the World Championship and added two Monuments to his list of honours. However, his ambition knows no bounds and he hopes to equal or even better it, if possible, in 2025. There are strong rumors that he could contest the Vuelta a Espana, the only Grand Tour he lacks on his palmarès. He made his name there in 2019, when he finished third and took three stage wins.
Read also
During the broadcast of the Clásica de Almería on Eurosport, the legend of Spanish cycling, Alberto Contador, gave his opinion on the matter. The man from Pinto understands that UAE Team Emirates - XRG does not yet want to confirm that Pogi will be in the Vuelta this year, but he has made it clear that he should seriously consider it and complete his palmares in three-week races.
"I think it's good that he says so. If it is not 100% certain, if there is some variant, it is better for him to say this than for everyone to get their hopes up, to assume that Pogacar is coming and then in the end it is not so. I think they still have time to decide. It's true that I think he has to include the Vuelta a España in his list of winners. It's true that he's very young and that, in principle, he gives the impression that he's got a long way to go. But, well, it's the only Grand Tour he's missing in his list of winners," Contador commented.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment