"Tradition is holding this sport back" - Tadej Pogacar's proposal for Grand Tour overhaul backed by rider's union boss Adam Hansen
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar’s call for a rethink of cycling’s Grand Tour calendar has received public support from Adam Hansen, who endorsed the idea in a post on X. The reaction adds immediate weight to Pogacar’s suggestion that the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana should swap places on the racing calendar due to weather conditions.
Pogacar said in quotes to AS, during UAE Team Emirates - XRG’s training camp in Gran Canaria: “I always say that if the Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta were swapped it would be much better, because of the weather conditions and because it would allow more riders to take part.”
Hansen: “Tradition is holding the sport back”
Responding on X, Hansen wrote: “I've said this over the past years during the PCC and various other meetings. I was laughed at, but obviously they've never ridden the Giro in freezing rain and snow, or the Vuelta in scorching heat. That is the biggest problem in cycling, the tradition is holding the sport back.”
Hansen’s comment reflects a long-running theme inside the riders’ union, which he leads, regarding the physical demands created by extreme race conditions at both ends of the season.
Pogacar’s remarks prompt immediate reaction
Pogacar’s concerns relate to the long-standing challenge of targeting both the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year, something he has struggled to reconcile while aiming to complete his Grand Tour set in 2026.
His AS interview also included warm praise for Gran Canaria as a potential Vuelta host in future, though the island will not feature on the 2026 route.
Hansen’s intervention marks the strongest public alignment so far from a figure representing the riders’ collective interests.
A wider debate now opening up
With both one of the sport’s leading riders and the CPA president voicing similar concerns about the sequencing of the three-week races, the subject is likely to gain further attention, albeit it's likely too late to affect the 2026 planning discussions.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
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I've said this over the past years during the PCC and various other meetings. I was laughed at, but obviously they've never ridden the Giro in freezing rain and snow, or the Vuelta in scorching heat. That is the biggest problem in cycling, the tradition is holding the sport back.
🇸🇮 Tadej Pogacar wants 🇮🇹 Giro and 🇪🇸 Vuelta to swap dates on calendar 📰 domestiquecycling.com/en/news/tadej-… 📸 Cor Vos
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