La Vuelta, post-Tour criteriums and housework - How Tadej Pogacar's 7 days after fifth Tour de France win will look like
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has just conquered a record-equaling fifth Tour de France win. For the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider, it's a goal achieved, and what comes next doesn't have to be decided yet. The World Champion has discussed the upcoming Vuelta a España, his partner Urska Zigart and more following the victory.
A busy week following the Tour win
In Paris, Pogacar was once again on the attack and tried taking a win with the yellow jersey on the Champs-Élysées, something that hasn't been seen in decades. It did not work out, but his attack ultimately saw Mathieu van der Poel race to victory on the iconic avenue.
Pogacar didn't get to celebrate the stage win, but did the overall win. A record-equaling fifth yellow jersey puts him up alongside the likes of Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain. And over the upcoming months, he could join Jonas Vingegaard in the list of winners of all three Grand Tours, if he decided to race the Vuelta.
But before any decision is made, the Slovenian will have some days to rest and also work on other projects. “I’m flying back home tomorrow, then I have some housework to do. Then I have a crit race in my hometown on Friday night, with some special guests from the Tour as well, some big riders," he said in the press conference following the race.
The Tour winner will be back in Slovenia for a few days and have his own event back home, whilst Urska Zigart - who suffered a bad crash at the Tour de Suisse Women - will be travelling to the Tour de France Femmes, something that will also be in his radar.
"Then on Sunday, I have the Pogi Challenge with kids and amateurs, so it’s a big weekend for me with a lot of work for my foundation. And I hope I can see some stages of the Tour de France, to see Urska riding.”
Despite her bad crash at the Tour de Suisse Women, Urska Zigart will race the Tour de France Femmes
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Will Pogacar race the Vuelta a España?
In the week after a decision may start to be formed. Travelling back to Monaco, Pogacar will inevitably be in the area when the Vuelta a España begins there. A perfect opportunity for the Slovenian to have a relaxed start to a Grand Tour, following a busy season with plenty ups - and a few downs.
“Right now, if Vuelta started tomorrow, then probably I would say no. But in two weeks, I can still decide.” In 2019, he made his Grand Tour debut there and won three stages, alongside a place on the final podium. Ever since, he hasn't returned.
In 2025 that was part of the plan, but an intense months before and during the Tour left him on the limit. Wanting to prevent a mental or physical burnout, Pogacar is not yet ready to commit to participating in the Vuelta, although that cannot be excluded.
“I don’t say that last year I was burning out, but I was well aware that it can happen. I’m aware this can happen if you push too far – so that’s also why, just now after the Tour de France, I don’t want to say 'yeah I go to Vuelta or I go to all the races'," he explains. "I need to also think about this and keep the feet on the ground.”
If he decided to do so, he would be the overwhelming favourite, whilst the likes of Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas should all be absent. The race begins in Monaco on the 22nd of August and finishes in Granada three weeks later.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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