Tadej Pogačar stands on a stage by the casino in Monaco and speaks of the Vuelta a España 2026 as the most difficult race of his career. Yet, the start is literally from his apartment window. The paradox is that the best cyclist of our time, having just won his fifth Tour de France, is now preparing for the only Grand Tour he does not yet have in his collection, and calls it "grueling."
The Vuelta starts on 22 August and will last until 13 September. Pogačar has not competed since July, when he once again dominated the Tour de France. Now he is starting from his hometown, where he has lived for several years. "I am very excited to be competing in Spain," he said at the team presentation. But he immediately added: three weeks of heat, steep climbs, and strong rivals will make the race extremely difficult.
For Pogačar, the Vuelta is not just another race. It is the last major gap in his record. He has already won the Giro and the Tour, but has not yet conquered the Spanish stage race. A victory here would mean not just another title, but the completion of the collection of all three Grand Tours. At the same time, starting from Monaco adds psychological pressure: competing at home does not always help when you need to maintain maximum concentration for three weeks.
The rivals are not standing still either. Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost hinted at a possible fight for the general classification, although he did not rule out focusing on stages. Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert have openly declared their desire to fight for stage wins. Enric Mas of Movistar and the Spaniards Pello Bilbao and Jesús Herrada, for whom this is the last Vuelta, add national flavor and motivation. In such company, even Pogačar will have to work to his limit.
Imagine: an athlete who is used to winning almost everything must now prove for three weeks in a row that he is capable of coping with the heat, mountains, and tactical traps, starting literally from home. It is as if a top-level chess player were playing a decisive game in his own kitchen — everyone knows his habits, everyone is waiting for a mistake. Psychologically, such a start can both inspire and distract.
A victory for Pogačar at the Vuelta 2026, if it happens, will show not only his physical superiority but also his ability to maintain motivation after the heights already achieved. For cycling, this will be a signal: even the most dominant athlete is still looking for new challenges, rather than being content with what has already been won.
