"I’ve long wanted to come back" - Tadej Pogacar highly motivated ahead of the 2026 Vuelta a España
CyclingThursday, 20 August 2026 at 19:25
Tadej Pogacar approaches the Vuelta a España 2026 with the ambition of conquering the only major goal still missing from his palmarès. The Slovenian reaches the Monaco start after racing the Tour de France and admits recovery time has been limited, though he believes it has been enough to arrive in good shape.
"There hasn’t been much time between the Tour and here, but I think it’s been enough to recover. The start is close to my home. I’m really up for it. I hope the legs are good. It’s a goal I don’t have yet. I’ll give my best to tick it off the list," Pogacar said in quotes collected by HLN.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader is clear that the Vuelta is a special motivation. After winning the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, completing his set of Grand Tours is one of his major goals.
"Every race is important. For me it would be a dream to win all three Grand Tours. I’m on the right path, but it will be important to be here in good form," he said.
"There will be a very hard battle here"
Pogacar also avoided comparing the level of the Vuelta with that of the last Tour de France. The Slovenian believes the Spanish race has a strong enough field to guarantee a demanding contest.
"I don’t even know if it’s worth answering that question. Why would the competition be tougher at the Tour? There are great talents on the start line here. It will be a very hard battle. Everyone here will be in top shape. It’s never easy," he said.
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One of the first key moments will come in Monaco’s opening time trial, a short and very technical route he knows perfectly given its proximity to his home. However, Pogacar does not see himself as the main favourite for that kind of course.
"I’ll do everything I can in the first time trial, but there are very strong rivals who can go fast on such a technical route. I don’t think it’s really something for me," he admitted.
Even so, the Slovenian played down the course’s difficulties and joked about the speeds riders will reach in the corners.
"Then you just have to go slower in the corners. It’s true it’s very technical and this isn’t a time trial where we’ll ride at 60 kilometres per hour, but I think it’s possible to do it well if you’ve reconned the course and know the danger points."
Pogacar wanted to return to the Vuelta
The Slovenian champion explains that his return to the Vuelta a España was not a last-minute decision. His intention to race it again had been there for a long time and the option began to take shape during season planning.
"I’d wanted to come back to the Vuelta for a long time. In December we talked about how it could be possible this year. I really wanted to come, with the start in Monaco. I can’t skip the Tour, so at some point I had to do the double. I think this year was the moment," he said.
"It’s a real paradise"
Pogacar also has fond memories of his only previous start in the Spanish race. It was in 2019, when he stunned the world with three stage wins and finished third overall at just 20 years old. "It will be a beautiful race. I have good memories of the 2019 Vuelta," he noted.
Monaco’s selection as the Grand Départ also has a personal dimension for Pogacar. The Slovenian lives in the area and knows the roads of the opening stage inside out.
"I’d like to be able to sleep at home, but I don’t think it will be possible. It’s incredible to race here. For training, too, it’s a real paradise. The roads are beautiful and the weather is good all year," he said. "I’ll have to see how my form is over the first few days. And keep in mind that after the Vuelta I still have three more important races. I can’t reach the finish completely dead. We have to be smart," he concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- im talking about the team not jonas. Team is clearly very weak rosterwic, very weak riders. Chaos with riders leaving and Griescha too.miguel20-08-2026
- Gravel too!mij20-08-2026
- Visma took a GT and a monument this year, stages in another GT, multiple one day races and one week tours. Every team except UAE dream of this year.mij20-08-2026
- Hard to believe Nairo wouldn't be a better bet than whoever the worst/weakest rider that Movistar sends in his place. The guy's past his prime sure but he is not grupetto material like late stage Froome. And Movistar would have gotten great visibility and press coverage for the legend of the past doing his last Vuelta... Bad decision IMOmobk20-08-2026
- Rider for rider I see no team close to UAE in the mountains once again just like TDF. Pogacar, Vine and Almeida (maybe 100% but even if not 100%) like noone close to this in the vuelta even so. Gonne end up UAE dominating again and winning most stages with several guys like usual.miguel20-08-2026
- This is surprising. Only he could have supported Mas and Cian in the high mountains. It also shows a lack of respect for Movistar, which is huge in Columbia.JoeyB20-08-2026
- Mou, you know we all know you’re replying to your comments from your other accounts, right? *Right?*anonymouscyclist20-08-2026
- OK, I will be fair and write about Pogi and Jonas. Here's a little history: I still like remembering the Giro 2024. The Italians loved Pogi, his style of racing and attacking. On the last stage we could see hundreds of Italians holding Slovenian flags or signs saying: "Grazie Tadej... grazie Pogi..." or "Tadej, ti amiamo"-meaning "Tadej we love you." ... I saw nothing like that this year when Jonas won. He's just a boring cyclist, that's a fact. Yes, he's good, one of the best stage racers...but boring... Yawn yawn... Now the Spaniards are going crazy over Pogi. The Spanish media exploded: "TADEJ POGAČAR, THE BEST CYCLIST IN THE WORLD IS COMING TO SPAIN"... Pogi vs everyone will be interesting. Cyclists fighting for second and third place will be interesting. Austin Powers would say "Yeah baby"!!!PogiSloFans20-08-2026
- eah all this is true and valid. Visma seem to be a total chaos for several reasons youve highlighted and not to remember from old visma anymore. Their trend is even worse and main reason im very sceptical on them going forward next year.miguel20-08-2026
- Yeah all this is true and valid. Visma seem to be a total chaos for several reasons youve highlighted and not to remember from old visma anymore. Their trend is even worse and main reason im very sceptical on them going forward next year.miguel20-08-2026
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