Tadej Pogačar will start the 2026 Vuelta a España, marking his first appearance at the Spanish Grand Tour since his breakout 2019 campaign, according to an announcement made by his UAE-Emirates squad. The three-week race begins on August 22 in Monaco and concludes on September 13 in Granada, giving the Slovenian star a clear opportunity to target the only Grand Tour title missing from his palmarès.
A Long-Awaited Return to the Vuelta a España
For the first time in seven years, the five-time Tour de France champion will line up at the Vuelta. Pogačar last raced the Spanish Grand Tour as a 20-year-old neo-professional in 2019, stunning the cycling world by winning three mountain stages and finishing third overall behind compatriot Primoz Roglic and veteran Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde.
Since that promising debut, Pogačar’s career trajectory has altered the landscape of men’s professional cycling. He has collected five Tour de France titles (2020, 2021, 2024, 2025, and 2026) alongside a dominant victory at the Giro d’Italia in 2024. Yet, despite his extraordinary collection of stage-racing monuments and Grand Tours, the red jersey of the Vuelta remains absent from his list of career championships.
Route Details and Key Stages for 2026
Race organizers have designed a demanding course that avoids the Spanish capital of Madrid entirely. Instead, the 2026 Vuelta a España starts with an international Grand Départ in Monaco on August 22. From the Mediterranean principality, the peloton will trace the Spanish coastline southward before plunging deep into the challenging terrain of Andalusia.
The route will culminate three weeks later on September 13 with a demanding finale in Granada.
Completing the Grand Tour Triple Crown
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