Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso will race Vuelta a Espana according to race director, despite contrary reports
Cycling
Javier Guillén, director of the Vuelta a España, has dropped the bombshell after assuring that Primoz Roglic, Juan Ayuso, Mikel Landa and Sepp Kuss are confirmed for this year's edition, and also does not rule out the presence of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. An affirmation that goes against what some teams have been arguing in public.
The news has been brought forward by the EFE Agency, and it carries a lot of weight in the current situation of the peloton. These statements by Javier Guillén, first of all, contradict what UAE Team Emirates boss Mauro Gianetti said earlier this morning, who stated that Ayuso was not going to be in La Vuelta. It is quite strange that the director of the Spanish Grand Tour suddenly confirms the rider of the Emirati team, who had to abandon the Tour de France because of a Covid-19 infection.
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Moreover, Pogacar himself also said on the final rest day of the Grande Boucle, last Monday, that he is 99% sure he will not be in the race, but that it was a big possibility that he would be there next year. Vingegaard has also said in the past he will not race the Vuelta as his wife is due to their second child during the Spanish Grand Tour. He's still finishing the Tour de France, and 3 minutes and 11 seconds behind Tadej Pogacar in the overall with 4 stages to go doesn't seem to be something that occupies his mind.
Guillén also argued Primoz Roglic will be in the race. Only two days ago, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe's Rolf Aldag has argued that a decision will only be made after the Tour de France ends, for both Roglic and Aleksandr Vlasov. The Vuelta organizer's words also directly contradict what is being shared by multiple teams.
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Sepp Kuss, as expected, is going to defend the 2023 Vuelta a España winner's title, specially after missing out on the Tour de France he will definitely be one of the few riders who are solely racing the Spanish Grand Tour with GC ambitions - Mattias Skjelmose is another, with an interesting plan for the season.
Finally, Mikel Landa may become Soudal Quick-Step's great hope. With Remco Evenepoel giving his all in the Tour de France, Landa is fulfilling the role of super domestique in an outstanding way. He is also 5th in the general classification, showing a form that can be exciting to compete for the best possible result in La Vuelta.
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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.
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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)...
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- What a travesty ! That little deviation did nothing to impede Brand !frieders307-11-2026
- I also wanne beat Pogacar in the tour but it aint gonne happen. Jonas unfortunately getting dropped by del toro and seixas several times this TDF and jonas team is very weak and joinas on way down, it aint happening thats clear. its also clear it only happened cause Pogacar was hurt and had a broken wrist that time everytime both full strenght its not close we just have to be honest about it :/miguel07-11-2026
- They do this but literally let cars on courses to run over riders.mij07-11-2026
- Looking at that photo she appears to be several feet from her. I’m not sure how that impeded brands sprint.mij07-11-2026
- I hope you are wrong but I suspect you will be proved correct. It might do something for Scottish tourism - although due to logistics the route skips the most spectacular parts of Scotland. It will bring in short term money no doubt, but will cycling overall in the U,K benifit? I doubt it. Even at £2 a litre the bits love thei cars,Cyclingsbestfan07-11-2026
- Lucky to not get disqualified
leedorney07-11-2026 - The road from Holyrood to Edinburgh Castle is a nice steady climb of just over a mile that is cobbled in many parts. (Very slippery if wet!) If the teams are going by one by one that will give fans an even better view of the riders up close than the castle esplanade.Cyclingsbestfan07-11-2026
- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026
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👋😎 MONACO 🇲🇨 🆕 Monaco will host the gran departure of #LaVuelta26 🛳️ Mónaco será sede de la salida oficial de La Vuelta 26
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