"UAE has always focused more on long-term preservation" - Will Pogacar race La Vuelta? Decision to be made this Tuesday
CyclingTuesday, 28 July 2026 at 14:03
Will Tadej Pogacar race the Vuelta a España this year? The decision will be made this Tuesday according to his agent Alex Carera, although no hints have been given.
Pogacar's La Vuelta decision made Tuesday
Pogacar has just concluded the Tour de France, completing a months-long project to prepare as best as possible for the Grand Boucle and win a fifth Tour, which puts him on par with Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. The World Champion might improve on this in the coming years, but ultimately, the Slovenian has said that he is not chasing records.
The Vuelta a España begins in late August, and might be in his plans. Starting off in Monaco, it would be a home start for Pogacar; with the race also ending near Sierra Nevada where he spends immense time during altitude camps.
This week, the Slovenian has travelled back home to Monaco, and will also be flying to Slovenia for a set of events. Afterwards he will return to training in some form; aiming for the World Championships but perhaps not only. The decision will be made this Tuesday.
"UAE has scheduled a meeting with Tadej and his coach tomorrow (Tuesday, ed.) to decide, based on how he finished the Tour de France, and I think it's a good idea," Pogacar's agent Alex Carera said in words to Sky Sports.
"What to do to compete in the World Championships, which is a given, and possibly participate in the Vuelta. So any doubts will be raised internally and then communicated at the appropriate time, within a week or ten days or so."
Tadej Pogacar at the 2026 Tour de France
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UAE focus on long-term preservation
Pogacar had previously spoken about using the Canadian classics as preparation for the Montreal World Championships; however with the Vuelta featuring a home start for him, and the absence of fatigue that marked the end of his 2025 Tour, it could be that he will set off on his second Grand Tour of the year. With modest competition at the start as of now, it could allow him to finally complete his list of Grand Tours.
Whatever the decision is, Carera is confident that the team will act in his best interest, thinking about his career rather than ticking boxes off the list. "I believe they will decide together for Tadej's best interests, because UAE has always focused more on long-term preservation than on wanting everything right away".
"And given his victories, the Monuments and the Grand Tours, I'd say that for now, the choices have been more than correct," he concluded.
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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- Yes, more of this. Bashing LA Doper is the right thing to do.
KerisVroom28-07-2026 - Merckx and Hinault raced with 10-man teams, and by the time Indurain won his five Tours, it was down to 9-man teams — a rule that’s stayed in place mostly ever since (until it dropped to 8 in 2018). Why didn’t they change the rules when these guys were dominating??
PogiFan2Day28-07-2026 - i think most people who follow cycling would agree that a “gift” is when rider A clearly could/would have WON, but instead allows rider B to take the victory. anyone feel free to weigh in. i don’t claim to have a monopoly on the absolute truth. what counts as a GIFT in our sport?OCexile28-07-2026
- If Jumbo Visma had only six cyclists on the team, Tadej would have won at least one more Tour. ;)MajorPayne28-07-2026
- No Pogi is a master of ceremony for the circus that is the tour Everyone forgets that this is sport and entertainment. I don't think that is lost on him and it is also why he is specialbackbayone28-07-2026
- Bauke Mollema proposes to reduce Tour team sizes to six riders to stop UAE's dominance??? OMG, I just can't believe the measures that are being taken, or want to be taken, just to stop the dominance and supremacy of my compatriot Tadej Pogačar-Pogi-The GOAT!!! Nonstop doping tests, six team riders, salary caps, yellow jerseys are not allowed to work as domestiques... bla bla bla ... What's next?PogiSloFans28-07-2026
- Well, Isaac is on the podium, Ayuso is 7th. It's not like he's getting a better deal out of UAE either. Would Tadej work for Ayuso if he stays? I doubt so because Ayuso didn't pull hard for him back in 2024.KerisVroom28-07-2026
- Yeah, but when Pogi starts to win too much, the french fans start booing him, showing their middle finger (caught on camera), throwing chips into his face (also caught on camera). What's gonna be next, spitting on him or throwing urine, like they did on MVDP, at cyclocross last year? So whatever Pogi does isn't good: If he wins too much or if he wins less because he becomes a domestique? Make up your minds.PogiSloFans28-07-2026
- Yes, my compatriot Pogi is changing cycling. 1st: Young riders are getting better and better because of Pogi, they want to be like him. Older riders don't have a chance anymore, like in the old days. 2nd: Long range attacks 50, 60,70,80km will be the new standard of winning races (Del Toro and Seixas). 3rd: The yellow jersey can also work as a domestique or waterboy (never seen before until Pogi 2024, 2025 and 2026). 4rth: Tadej Pogačar - The GOAT, has become the knew benchmark, the new standard of reference for young riders.PogiSloFans28-07-2026
- OK, now it's time for me to stop this bs. Yes, if Pogi and MVDP both came to the finish line, MVDP would have beaten him. They both know that. But if MVDP was alone, not pulling with Pogi, the peleton would have caught him long before and he would have never won. Here's what Pogi said for the Slovenian media... "I was worn out at the end, my legs were jelly, but since Mathieu and I were pulling alone, I wanted him to win. I pulled as much as I could to keep him going. Mathieu is my big rival, but also my friend. I'm happy he won."PogiSloFans28-07-2026
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