"He is past his prime, how good is he going to be?" - Geraint Thomas has serious doubts about Primoz Roglic challenging for Vuelta a Espana
Cycling
Geraint Thomas has serious doubts about Primoz Roglic challenging for the 2026 Vuelta a Espana, even before the Slovenian suffered a pre-race crash, throwing his presence at the start line next weekend.
The Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe veteran, set to leave the team this winter, has targeted the Spanish Grand Tour as his major season goal. However, after a crash in training, a decision is yet to be officially made on whether he will be fit enough to start the race on August 22nd.
With it being almost two years since he won his last Grand Tour at the 2024 Vuelta, former rival and current INEOS Director of Racing Geraint Thomas has serious doubts around his credentials to win it, claiming that he's past his prime.
"He is past his prime, how good is he going to be?," Thomas said on his Watts Occuring podcast with former teammate and current Decathlon CMA CGM Luke Rowe.
Roglic targets Vuelta as main goal
"I don't know for sure. It will be interesting. He has had this race as his goal all year. That is good, because the favorites starting in the Vuelta have either already ridden a Grand Tour or dropped out of a Grand Tour. There aren't many riders who really have the Vuelta as a goal."
For Rowe, targeting the Vuelta leaves no safety net, noting that a crash - like his recent incident - could derail an entire season worth of preparation. Noting Tadej Pogacar's superiority above the rest of the field, he questioned just how feasible the opportunity was.
Rowe said: "If you crash in the Vuelta, there is no plan B left. Roglic has only had 28 race days this year. And he is not the Roglic we have seen in previous years. He is still solid, and if he makes a goal out of something, he will be in the mix. But Pogacar's level? He is far off it, I think."
Focusing on eachother's teams, Rowe noted how some of the general classification contenders arrive after suffering setbacks during the season, such as Oscar Onley's return to action following a serious Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes crash.
Oscar Onley
Onley and Gall set for Vuelta a Espana
"Your boy, Oscar Onley, was supposed to ride the Tour but crashed and is now going to the Vuelta. Our boy, Felix Gall, has already ridden the Giro and is now going to the Vuelta. Pogacar rode the Tour and is there now," Rowe said.
Reflecting on Onley's return at Vuelta a Burgos, finishing in second overall with a stage win, Thomas was satisfied with the week but praised Gall's impressive step up from his Giro d'Italia performance to win the general classification in Burgos.
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Thomas added: "It could hardly have been better, could it? Well, we could have beaten your boy, Gall. But it was great to see how he won a stage, and how he finished second in the general classification. 'It was a great week for him, and for the team."
Rowe said: "That was his first victory in the general classification. You know him as a solid general classification rider, and you expect that he has already had success."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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