“Back to work”: Tadej Pogacar resumes training as Vuelta a España preparation begins
CyclingFriday, 07 August 2026 at 03:00
Just over a week after equalling the all-time record with his fifth Tour de France victory, Tadej Pogacar has officially returned to training. The Slovenian has resumed serious preparations for the Vuelta a España, balancing demanding road rides with gravel adventures before beginning his bid to complete cycling's full set of Grand Tour victories.
Training resumes after Tour triumph
After taking some time to recover following his Tour de France success in Paris, Pogacar has begun building towards the Vuelta a España, which starts in just over two weeks. His first proper training ride was uploaded to Strava under the simple title: “Back to work.”
On Wednesday, the world champion completed a 130.5-kilometre ride around his hometown of Komenda, climbing 2,195 metres at an average speed of 35.4 km/h. He followed that up on Thursday morning with another demanding outing, covering 121.6 kilometres and 2,262 metres of elevation at an average speed of 34.8 km/h.
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This second ride carried the title: “Train against clock.”
Following his return to training, Pogacar is expected to head to France to support his partner, Urska Zigart, who is competing at the Tour de France Femmes. Whether he will be present on the iconic Mont Ventoux stage on Friday remains uncertain, although the race concludes with two stages in Nice, close to the Monaco home the couple share.
A change of scenery on the gravel
Before returning to road training, Pogacar spent two days enjoying a different discipline. The four-time Strade Bianche winner swapped his standard road bike for a Colnago C68 Gravel and even abandoned his usual UAE Team Emirates kit in favour of unbranded cycling clothing.
On Monday he covered 62 kilometres of gravel roads, averaging 27.1 km/h, before riding another 39.6 kilometres on Tuesday. Describing the second outing, he simply called it: “Gravel jungle.”
While the gravel rides offered a welcome mental break after the Tour, they may also provide useful preparation for what's ahead. Stage 6 of this year's Vuelta a España features a 3.5-kilometre gravel section on the category-one climb of El Bartolo, making off-road skills more relevant than ever.
Pogacar has not raced the Vuelta since his spectacular Grand Tour debut in 2019 (in which he secured three stage wins at the age of 20), but he returns this year as the overwhelming favourite.
Victory in Spain would complete his collection of Grand Tour titles, adding the Vuelta to his previous successes at the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- I get the impression he likes racing just fine, he's just not got the outgoing "lad" personality that some fans think is the only way to be.wrsty07-08-2026
- I'm interested to know what Visma will do with him. They seem to be able to get new things out of riders they pick up, so maybe he's got as of yet untapped utility to them doing something else besides purely sprinting. At least they probably got him fairly cheap.wrsty07-08-2026
- For sure. But it "can" come at the expense of retiring with fewer GT wins. You also get experience as a leader by being a team's leader. But he may also enjoy riding for Pogi more than racing for himself anyway.Vpotts06-08-2026
- I get the impression that Vingegaard doesnt actually like to race or cycling even so I dont think he will.miguel06-08-2026
- I get the impression that Vingegaard doesnt actually like to race or cycling even so I dont think he will.miguel06-08-2026
- it is reported on other sites that he signed his extension with UAEmij06-08-2026
- Why are we recycling old podcast takes from many months ago and Pogacar already said UAE is aboard with him on the OL plans. This is just lazy journalism if even that.miguel06-08-2026
- he wants clarity on the team's plans. what clarity does the team have on his plans to remain a hard-worker once he gets a longer contract?mij06-08-2026
- not only do they deserve it, the racing is fantastic. yesterday's stage was amazing.mij06-08-2026
- I agree, Remco did have bigger power output in the lower and punchier mountains, but when they would have got into the high mountains, then the picture would be turned around. I still think Jonas is a better high mountain climber and would have beaten Remco on Alp d'Huez. Maybe we will never know, I have the feeling Jonas will retire. He has nothing more to prove: He won all three GT, TdF twice... he won all the major one week stage races... he can't seem to win one day races... he crashed out on a few occasions and hurt himself pretty badly... him staying and beating other cyclists that are not Pogačar is BS... he knows he will never again beat Pogi, regardless what he says... SO??? Retirement !!!PogiSloFans06-08-2026
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