Tadej Pogacar eyes Vuelta a Espana crown and Grand Tour clean sweep

Just 27 days after clinching a record-breaking fifth Tour de France victory, Tadej Pogacar will soon return to competitive cycling, aiming to make history yet again at the Vuelta a Espana. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG cyclist dominated the 2024 Tour with five stage wins, showcasing the same exceptional form seen throughout the year.

Now, Pogacar's attention turns to one of the few remaining titles that elude his grasp: La Vuelta. The race kicks off in his hometown of Monaco, with a 9km individual team trial on Saturday. If he secures the podium position in Granada – marking his first Vuelta victory since 2017 – on September 13, Pogacar would become only the ninth athlete to conquer all three Grand Tours.

In 2024, he achieved a Giro d Italia-Tour de France double, but with a 34-day gap between the two races. To win another Grand Tour double this year, Pogacar would need to recover in just one week from the Tour de France, a seven-stage, 3,275km route featuring over 58,000m of climbing. Team performance head Jeroen Swart confirmed Pogacar's schedule was designed to provide him the mental freshness required for the Vuelta.

However, altitude training was omitted due to the late season timing. Swart emphasized that Pogacar has already demonstrated his ability to handle two back-to-back Grand Tours, so the team's focus is on ensuring the rider recovers both mentally and physically for the demanding race. Pogacar expressed excitement about returning to La Vuelta, a race that holds special meaning for him as his first Grand Tour in 2019.

The strong team lineup includes last year's runner-up Joao Almeida, Tour Down Under champion Jay Vine, and fellow competitors Pavel Sivakov, Pablo Torres, Kevin Vermaerke, Domen Novak, and Ivo Oliveira.