Vuelta boss continues open flirtation with Tadej Pogacar & Jonas Vingegaard: "Two riders arriving fatigued from the Tour de France... another layer of intrigue"

Next month, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are set to renew their rivalry and write the latest chapter in their historic rivalry at the 2025 Tour de France. For the first time ever though, could we also see the pair compete at the the Vuelta a Espana later this year?

Vuelta a Espana race director Javier Guillén has made no secret about the fact that he wants both Pogacar and Vingegaard at his Grand Tour, and in conversation with AS, the Spaniard has now continued his open flirtation with the two leading Grand Tour riders of the current generation.

“Right now, we have a true living legend in Tadej Pogacar," says Guillen openly. "It’s inspiring to hear him speak of the World Championships, Milano-Sanremo… and he clearly has the full Grand Tour set in his sights. If Eddy Merckx won all three, then so should he."

Both Vingegaard and Pogacar have competed and podiumed at the Vuelta a Espana in the past, although not against each other. As mentioned though, Guillen is publicly opening up negotiations for that possibility in 2025. "Hopefully, we’ll witness a showdown with Jonas Vingegaard. He knows La Vuelta well, and for me it would be a dream," he says. "A battle between two riders arriving fatigued from the Tour de France, which adds another layer of intrigue: managing the winner’s celebrations and the loser’s hunger for revenge.”

As for the course these riders could dual? “It needs to be short, with plenty of challenges towards the end of each stage, and it should always showcase somewhere new," says Guillen. "If we can include a steep ramp or a tough climb near the finish, all the better. We’re a race that looks to the sky more than to the ground.”

“I’d love to realise the dream of finishing La Vuelta in the Canary Islands, ideally spanning more than one island. We have a duty to reach every corner of Spain, and the terrain there is spectacular — some of the finest climbs you’ll find anywhere in cycling," he concludes. "We also need to continue internationalising the race, and keep discovering new climbs, however difficult that’s becoming. They’re out there — and we’ll have some next year.”