"It will mainly have to come from the big boss himself" - Analysts doubt UAE can Vuelta a España as Tadej Pogacar's team face question marks
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar might be favourite to win the 2026 Vuelta a España when the race gets underway this weekend, but the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider faces a different challenge than he usually has with a team fit perfectly around him at the Tour de France.
In his second Grand Tour of the season, the Slovenian is aiming to combine Tour and Vuelta success and complete the set of Grand Tours. He arrives with a squad boasting versatile strength on the startlist, but with some underlying concerns and doubts in practice.
Vice captain Jaoa Almeida has endured a season plagued by illness, with the Portugeuse lieutenants Tour support role cut and his goals pushed to Vuelta. Climbing support Jay Vine has also endured a tough season, including a heavy crash that ended his Giro d'Italia.
Elsewhere, Pavel Sivakov has struggled to reach his versatile level of recent seasons while Pablo Torres has enjoyed fine form, the 20-year-old is riding just his first Grand Tour.
Joao Almeida at the 2026 Tour de Pologne
Analysts question UAE team level at the Vuelta
For Eurosport analysts, it raises the question of how UAE can get the most out of the Vuelta, questioning whether any domination of the race would come from Pogacar's own exploits or if we can expect a more reserved three weeks from the Emirati squad.
"UAE had a very good team in the Tour, but the team in the Vuelta is only very good on paper," Eurosport analyst Jan Hermsen said of the Kop over kop podcast.
"Vine has crashed again, Almeida hasn't been good all year, no idea about Sivakov, Torres is a good rider but still wants to discover himself... There are actually quite a few like that. There are a lot of ifs and buts. It will mainly have to come from the big boss himself."
For Bobbie Traksel, the first few days are most exciting as he speculated if Pogacar will try to attack and put some of the heavy lifting behind him earlier in the race. Pointing to the World Championships coming two weeks after the Vuelta, he wonders if Pogacar will turn down the heat in the finale.
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Traksel said: "It is super important to see how UAE is going to ride in the first few days. Are they going to ride to win everything, possibly with Pogacar?
"And is that wise, considering Pogacar's preparation for the World Championships? Or are they going to ease things up a bit and let everyone play around?"
Jeroen Vanbelleghem thinks the team have reasons to start with doubts. However, he noted that Pogacar alone casn deliver desired stage wins over the course of the three weeks.
"Almeida and Vine will naturally get into the early breakaway often in the second and third weeks, provided they are already high up in the general classification," Vanbelleghem stated.
"And if Pogacar wins a few of them, you quickly reach six stage wins, of course. But Pogacar's domestiques all have their reasons to start the Vuelta with doubts."
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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