“No, no, Tadej doesn’t need my advice" - Chris Froome admits he needs to see one thing to convince him Pogacar will win Vuelta a España
Cycling
Chris Froome was among the big names on the start line of the Vuelta a España 2026 in Monaco, the chosen stage for the start of a historic edition of the Spanish Grand Tour. The Briton, a four-time Tour de France winner and twice victorious at the Vuelta, weighed up the chances of Tadej Pogacar, the leading favourite to win a race that is still missing from his palmarès.
Froome did not hesitate when asked whether the Slovenian might need any advice to complete his set of Grand Tours. “No, no, Tadej doesn’t need my advice,” said the former Israel-Premier Tech rider (this year, NSN Cycling), who believes Pogacar is perfectly placed to conquer the Vuelta as well.
The Briton especially highlighted the level shown by the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader during the Tour de France. Pogacar dominated the French race and again displayed a superiority that, according to Froome, could carry straight into the Vuelta if he holds that condition.
“He’s doing an incredible job, so I’m sure that if he doesn’t have bad luck, he’ll soon have this one in the bag,” Froome told RTVE’s microphones. The four-time Tour winner believes the main unknown is not the Slovenian’s abilities, but how he will arrive physically after a demanding Grande Boucle.
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“He can join the three-Grand Tours club”
“It will be very interesting to see what Tadej can do and what kind of condition he has after the Tour de France,” he explained. It is a crucial question in a Vuelta that again serves up a testing route and will force the Slovenian to manage his effort over three weeks.
Even so, Froome pushed the forecast further. “If he has the same legs as in the Tour, he’s definitely going to win this Vuelta,” he said firmly. The Briton, who knows first-hand what it means to try to win a second Grand Tour in the same season, believes Pogacar’s level can make the difference even after the fatigue accumulated in France.
Froome also expressed his hope that Pogacar can enter a select group of riders capable of winning all three Grand Tours. The Slovenian has already won the Tour and the Giro d’Italia, so a victory in Spain would complete the coveted triple crown.
⭐️ ¡@ChrisFroome recibe a la #Vuelta2026 en Mónaco, su hogar desde 2011!
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) August 22, 2026
🔴El último autor del doblete @LeTour - @lavuelta (2017) lo tiene claro: @TamauPogi no necesita consejos para lograrlo
📺Sigue en DIRECTO la #VueltaRTVE22a en @la2_tve y @RTVEPlay:https://t.co/qgvpyvg6dE pic.twitter.com/rK7OJdP9v1
Can Pogacar join elite club?
“I hope he can join the three Grand Tours club,” said Froome, who also underlined the significance of the Vuelta starting from Monaco. The Spanish race’s presence in the Principality is a special moment and strengthens the event’s international profile.
“I’m very proud to have the Vuelta here in Monaco today. It’s a very special occasion for the Vuelta, being the first time here in Monaco,” the Briton concluded.
While Pogacar tackles the challenge of completing his palmarès, Froome will follow the race from a privileged vantage point.
His words make clear that, for a figure with his experience, the Slovenian’s main rival may be the season’s accumulated fatigue. If he keeps his Tour legs, the Briton’s prediction is unequivocal: the Vuelta could have a clear owner.

Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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- It doesnt take a genius to understand that Pogi is 1 level above and Pogi is younger that Jonas, so Jonas will not win under ordinary circumstances. Pogi has to crack hard for Jonas to win. It doesn't matter whether you defend Jonas or not , facts remain facts. Jonas himself says his numbers are better than 2022/2023, so Jonas is more or less optimized and we are just see the stochastic variation due to other factors. I think he will retire along with Pedersen in WC denmarkabstractengineer13-11-2026
- They only raced each other during the 2026 Tour, but here's a few metrics to look at. Stage 3 (Granollers to Les Angles): Pogačar won the stage, finishing 2 seconds ahead of Vingegaard (2nd). Del Toro finished 24 seconds behind Stage 6 (Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre / Col du Tourmalet): Pogačar won solo, Vingegaard finished 2nd (losing 2:38), and Del Toro finished 3rd (at +2:57, finishing 19 seconds behind Vingegaard). Here, Jonas Vingegaard outclimbed Isaac del Toro by 19 seconds on the mountain stageawp13-11-2026
- your clinging to the past. Jonas was dropped by del toro many times last year and jonas never managed a climbing numers del toro did in dauphine last year -entire year. Trend is also evident theres no discussion your living in the past, its beent he same with jonas for many years now and only developing, meanwhile del toro is rising and developing greatly. This is all obvious stuff and im not even a del toro fan. No point discussing numbers or this i suspect you dont watch much now but rather think its 2022 still cause this aint hard.miguel13-11-2026
- We can go through metrics if you like, Del Toro, who I do admire and support, is not on the same level as Jonas just yet. You will see that in early 2027 if they have any crossover races. I do hope they both race the Giro. You are correct though, Jonas is getting older and will not be able to hand on much longer. I see 2027 as a good year for him. Obviously behind Tadej though.awp13-11-2026
- What wins? Are you LA operating under a pseudonym?mij13-11-2026
- My point is this - Tadej, Remco, Seixas are all the outliers. Many riders don’t hit their peak until 28. It’s way too early to write him off. And the pogi slo guy that hates him - he’s also immature. Ayuso needs time.mij13-11-2026
- Then you need to use ur eyes or head if you have cause del toro already dropped jonas two times and beat him in tdf stages already this year.. Del toro climbed(dauphine) better numbers than jonas did all year too. So ur feelings and wishful thinking doesnt amtter del toro himself has already surpassed jonas infact just facts. Its also very evident for anyone objective that Jonas is declining alot, its just the truth and super obvious.miguel13-11-2026
- None of those victories stand, so there's that,wrsty13-11-2026
- No surprise there; it is British Sycling, yes, with an S
Rafionain-Glas12-11-2026 - I like Del Toro but he's not on the level of Jonas, by a large margin.awp12-11-2026
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