Newly crowned five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar is set to compete in this month's Vuelta a Espana, aiming to achieve a rare Grand Tour treble. Should he win, Pogacar would join an elite group of cyclists to have won all three of cycling's major three-week races in history.
Pogacar, representing UAE Team Emirates-XRG, secured his fifth Tour de France title last month, equaling the record held by legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. Earlier in the season, he won the 2024 Giro d'Italia by a significant margin of nearly 10 minutes.
"I'm excited to say I'm going back to La Vuelta," Pogacar stated. "It was my first ever Grand Tour back in 2019 and an amazing experience. Spain is a country I love to visit and race in, and I think the time is right to go back."
The 27-year-old cyclist previously finished third at the Vuelta a Espana in 2019, his debut Grand Tour. "The motivation is high to finish off the year in a good way and the Vuelta will be a big target. The team is strong and we hope to do good things," he added.
The 2024 Vuelta a Espana is scheduled to begin in Monaco on August 22 and conclude in Granada on September 13. The race will feature 21 stages, including time trials, sprint sections, rolling hills, and challenging mountain climbs.
Pogacar has a decorated record in professional cycling, having won numerous major races. In addition to his five Tour de France victories, he has claimed the Tour of Flanders three times, Milan-San Remo once, the Road World Championships twice, Il Lombardia five times, Liège-Bastogne-Liège four times, and the Giro d'Italia. He is also expected to defend his Road World Championships title in Montreal, Canada, shortly after the Vuelta concludes.
While the Vuelta a Espana is a significant event on the cycling calendar, modern top talents often prioritize the Tour de France. Historically, riders like Merckx, Anquetil, and Hinault have won the Vuelta during their careers. Pogacar's dominant performance at the recent Tour de France, where he finished more than six minutes ahead of his nearest competitor, Remco Evenepoel, suggests he will be a strong favorite for the Vuelta.
Pogacar has demonstrated exceptional form this year, winning six of his seven World Tour races entered. His only defeat came at Paris-Roubaix in April, where he narrowly lost a sprint finish to Wout van Aert.