Official: Pogačar returns to the Vuelta

It's official, fantasy captains: Tadej Pogačar is returning to the Vuelta a España for the first time since his Grand Tour debut way back in 2019. The announcement came Monday morning directly from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, sending cycling fans into raptures and, of course, all fantasy cycling gamers who will now have to rethink their strategies for the Spanish stage race.

It was 2019 when a very young Pogačar exploded onto the international scene at the Vuelta, winning three stages, the white jersey for best young rider, and finishing third overall, behind compatriot Primož Roglič and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde. A sensational debut that already showed everyone what kind of rider we would be dealing with in the years to come.

Now the Slovenian has his sights set on an ambitious goal: emulating the achievement of his historic rival Jonas Vingegaard , who completed his Grand Tour collection this year by winning the Giro d'Italia. If Pogačar were to also triumph in the Vuelta, he would join an exclusive club of only eight riders in history to have won all three Grand Tours. An even more significant fact for fantasy cycling: only Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, and Chris Froome have managed to win the Tour and the Vuelta in the same year, with Froome the only one to do so in the modern era, since the Vuelta was moved to the end of the season.

The 2026 Vuelta will start on August 22nd in Monaco, where Pogačar himself lives, and conclude three weeks later in Granada. A route that seems tailor-made to allow the Slovenian phenomenon to complete yet another historic feat.

For those who manage fantasy cycling teams, the most interesting news concerns the lineup that will accompany Pogačar in Spain. UAE Team Emirates-XRG will field a team described as "balanced" but with remarkable overall value: last year's runner-up João Almeida , along with Jay Vine , Pavel Sivakov , Pablo Torres , Kevin Vermaerke , Domen Novak , and Ivo Oliveira . This team promises to be a great contender for both the general classification and the stages, with Almeida representing an excellent backup for those hoping for a secure place in their fantasy football lineups.

"I'm happy to announce my return to the Vuelta. It was my first Grand Tour in 2019 and a fantastic experience. Spain is a country I love to visit and where I love to race, and I think it's the right time to return," Pogačar said on the team's official website.

"We're highly motivated to finish the year on a high note, and the Vuelta will be a major goal. The team is strong, and we hope to achieve some great things."

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