NSN bring Grand Tour veterans and exciting debutant to the 2026 Vuelta a España - Hunt for stage win on as line-up set to challenge on all terrain
CyclingWednesday, 19 August 2026 at 10:16
NSN Cycling Team will tackle the Vuelta a España 2026 with an eight-man roster built to seize opportunities across the three weeks. The squad blends Grand Tour experience with the excitement of three riders making their debut at this level.
George Bennett, Jan Hirt, Hugo Hofstetter, Moritz Kretschy, Alexey Lutsenko, Pau Martí, Nick Schultz, and Floris Van Tricht will be the eight riders rolling out in Monaco on Saturday, August 22nd. It’s a group with options for virtually any kind of stage and a clear focus on hunting stage wins at the Grand Tour.
Sports director Pat McCarty makes it clear the team is not prioritising the general classification. “Our goals for La Vuelta are mainly focused on stage results. We want to win a stage and be present or close to the podium on stages throughout the three weeks,” he explains.
Hugo Hofstetter stands out as the obvious card for fast finishes, while medium-mountain days and tougher finales will let the more complete riders and breakaway specialists take the initiative. The strategy will be notably aggressive, aiming to place riders in the moves whenever the route allows.
Pau Martí takes on the first Grand Tour of his career
La Vuelta will have special meaning for Pau Martí, who will ride his first Grand Tour on home roads. The young Spaniard, developed through the team’s pathway, is especially motivated for the stages in the Comunitat Valenciana, where family and friends will be out in force. His versatility could make him a key option for the rolling, medium-mountain terrain.
Alongside Martí, Moritz Kretschy and Floris Van Tricht will also make their Grand Tour debuts. Balancing them are riders with broad international experience such as Bennett, Hirt, Lutsenko, and Schultz, some of whom already have Grand Tour stage wins.
That blend of experience and youth is one of NSN’s main strengths. The team sees around five clear opportunities for the sprinters, especially on stages 2, 5, and 8, while the rest of the route should offer numerous chances for breakaways.
La Vuelta opens with a 9.4-kilometre individual time trial in Monaco and finishes in Granada after 21 stages and more than 58,000 metres of cumulative elevation gain. NSN Cycling Team intends to make its presence felt and capitalise on every chance.
NSN Cycling Team
NSN Cycling Team at La Vuelta
| Rider |
| George Bennett |
| Jan Hirt |
| Hugo Hofstetter |
| Moritz Kretschy |
| Alexey Lutsenko |
| Pau Martí |
| Nick Schultz |
| Floris Van Tricht |
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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- Die for your country? What nonsense Raf! I understand that that is a quote from Wilfred Owens anti war poem but you have used it out of context here.Cyclingsbestfan19-08-2026
- seems like he has no plans to retire early. that probably ends all the potential burnout rumors after last year‘s tdf.Ketterechts19-08-2026
- What kind of argument is that?????? He went as deep for the Tour last year and still contemplated doing the Vuelta before Worlds He’s never skipped MSR for having gone deep a previous year. Please provide some back up to this claim, also about the criticism aside from some irrelevant posters like us.Jumpyjohn19-08-2026
- And yet, some people go out of their way to put him down. Don’t need to remind of some of the comments before he came out of his dry patch.Jumpyjohn19-08-2026
- Oh boy, don’t push that finger too precisely.Jumpyjohn19-08-2026
- It doesn’t matter, there are people like that in both worlds. Funny how nobody mentioned Tadej, who put « family » loyalty over country. Imagine (would be) soldiers would do the same, well, some did, were called traitors BUT they did change the course of history by prematurely ending stupid wars and practically NOBODY 20-30y later dares criticisethem the way their leaders back then did. You should represent your country, for whatever, IF you believe it’s for the RIGHT reasons and the balance of reasons for/against is ok for you PERSONALLY. Jonas is no different to Tadej in that respect, both have their reasons. Besides, as today again shows very well, NEVER confuse country and (temporary) leaders no matter how much people try to pressure you with guilt. In that respect, Belgium’s federation and all its demands on riders is a very interesting case to review.Jumpyjohn19-08-2026
- Can’t disagree there, no matter how much I appreciate Prim. At some point you have to make way for new generations, in fact, you should be helping not hindering.Jumpyjohn19-08-2026
- There was a lot of criticism for Pog for putting loyalty to his partner first on that occasion (and probably missing out on a huge boost to his international profile, Olympic glory etc. ) But the previous year he had gone so deep at the Glasgow Worlds that he had to be assisted off the podium, and he road that Worlds time trial while obviously still exhausted. So he is not a good point of comparison, if you insist on comparing.Hills3319-08-2026
- It is impossible to dislike WVAmij19-08-2026
- Orange County CA guy - let's go!mij19-08-2026
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