La Vuelta, post-Tour criteriums and housework - How Tadej Pogacar's 7 days after fifth Tour de France win will look like
CyclingMonday, 27 July 2026 at 12:30
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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- Indeed the bestcaptmike27-07-2026
- Indeed the bestcaptmike27-07-2026
- The fact is that Lance, even in his prime with a serious doping protocol, couldn't get within ten places to Remco, let alone Tadej or Jonas. All of those mountain records they (Tadej, Jonas and Remco) broke in 2024 would have had Lance finished minutes down on every one of them. I don't blame Lance though, everyone was doing it back then and it did make for exciting racing.awp27-07-2026
- I think that this current route should remain, as the sprinters were very close in the end, and that made it all the more entertaining to watch.
santiagobenites27-07-2026 - dumolin is delusionalwhkman27-07-2026
- No talent? lol.awp27-07-2026
- ???mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales27-07-2026
- Oh you little gay boy, you have a dirty mouth, don't you? I'm happy for you that you're in love with your boyfriend, but don't be mean to me. Capish?mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales27-07-2026
- “Tadej, on behalf of the Netherlands: thank you!” “Tadej, on behalf of the Belgians: thank you!” “Tadej, on behalf of the Mexicans: thank you!” “Tadej, on behalf of the TdF organizers: thank you!”mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales27-07-2026
- Why is Paul Seixas not on the winner's list? He's the youngest TdF rider since the 1930's. Everyone thought he couldn't survive the 3-week tour, and he not only defied that, but he is also the fourth best rider on the tour. He deserves a spot on the list.
PogiFan2Day27-07-2026
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