Tadej Pogačar plans to return to the Vuelta a España, targeting the final Grand Tour missing from his legendary palmarès after a seven-year absence from the Spanish national tour. The five-time Tour de France champion last raced the Vuelta in 2019, where he burst onto the global cycling scene as a 20-year-old by winning three stages and finishing third overall.
Chasing the Complete Grand Tour Set
For a rider who has rewritten the modern cycling record books, completing the set of three-week tours remains a clear career objective. Pogačar holds four Tour de France titles alongside his dominant 2024 Giro d’Italia triumph, leaving the red jersey of the Vuelta as the final missing piece of cycling’s Triple Crown of Grand Tours. Only a select group of riders in history—including Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Vincenzo Nibali, Alberto Contador, and Chris Froome—have won all three major tours throughout their careers.
Looking Back at His 2019 Breakthrough
Pogačar’s debut appearance at the Vuelta a España in 2019 established his credentials as a generational stage-racing talent. Competing for UAE Team Emirates at the time, he claimed impressive mountain victories at Andorra, Cortals d’Encamp, Los Machucos, and Gredos while securing the white jersey as the race’s best young rider. That performance served as the launchpad for his historic dominance at the Tour de France, where he secured yellow in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025.
What Comes Next for the UAE Team Emirates Star
While race organizers and team officials finalize official route presentations and calendar confirmations for the upcoming season, Pogačar’s targeted return adds immense anticipation to the late-season Spanish calendar. Cycling fans looking to track his preparation and official team announcements can follow updates through the official Vuelta a España web portal or via UAE Team Emirates communications.
