Tadej Pogačar’s exit has blown the Vuelta a España wide open – who will capitalise on the opportunity?
We have lost the best rider in the world, but might have gained a more interesting race
Tadej Pogačar’s departure has turned the Vuelta a España into a wide open competition, with several riders vying for the overall title. Pogačar, the world champion, led the race for all 21 days before crashing on Saturday, leaving the title up for grabs. The current leader, Enric Mas of Movistar, is the biggest star of the race, having never led the Vuelta before.
Mas's victory would be unexpected, as he finished 32nd at the Giro d’Italia this year, but his expertise in the Vuelta makes him a strong contender. Primož Roglič, a four-time Vuelta winner, is in second place, 1:18 behind Mas, and could mount a surprise comeback. Felix Gall of Decathlon CMA CGM is in third, having had the best season of his career so far, but is 1:39 behind Mas.
Oscar Onley of Netcompany-Ineos, the last rider in the list, is 2:20 behind Mas but has shown promise in his new team. With multiple serious mountain stages still to come, the race could be won by any of the top four riders within two minutes of each other. The winner of the Vuelta a España in just under two weeks will undoubtedly be a surprise, either Roglič after his strange season or a new Grand Tour champion in Mas, Gall, or Onley.
Written by urgent.news from Cycling Weekly's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
