Bold proposal by Tadej Pogačar gets backing from riders’ union within 24 hours

Tadej Pogačar has already received backing — within 24 hours — for a bold proposal: the world champion suggested in an interview with AS swapping the places of the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in the calendar, and CPA-director Adam Hansen responded almost immediately.

While currently staying on Gran Canaria, Pogačar floated an idea that had been discussed before — but underlined that such a change would help not only him, but many other riders as well. After all, he has never won the Vuelta, and has only raced it once. In 2019 he finished third overall, won three stages and took the white jersey for best young rider.

He has already won the Tour de France four times (most recently this past summer), and last year he made a dominant debut in the Giro. That leaves only the Vuelta missing from the Grand Tour set. “I always say that if they swapped the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta, it would be much better,” he said.

In his proposal, Pogačar stressed the weather differences: in Spain in May the conditions tend to be more stable (less rain), while in late summer Italy would likely offer milder temperatures rather than the heat typical for Spain in August or September.

He argues that more riders might choose the Vuelta — especially if a spring Grand Tour is better-aligned with a build-up that includes the Tour de France and the World Championships later in the season.

The statements suggest that Pogačar might again skip the Vuelta in 2026 — although his camp always leaves the door open. In 2025 he had aimed for a Tour–Vuelta double, but was so exhausted after the Tour de France that he took a rest period. With what appears to be one of the toughest Tours ever coming in 2026, the Vuelta may have to wait another season.

Pogačar has previously said that in the spring he wants to try to target major classics such as Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix — as he did in 2025. He knows he’ll have to be at his absolute best, with rivals like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert likely present, and possibly also Remco Evenepoel in La Primavera. “He’s a rival to keep an eye on and with a chance to win.”

Milan–San Remo, Paris–Roubaix and the Vuelta remain unchecked boxes — but according to Pogačar, he doesn’t feel forced to focus only on those three races in the coming years. He’s willing to skip them if it benefits his long-term season results. “If you have seasons like last year, it’s difficult to come back next year and do even better.”

In response to the surprising proposal to reverse Giro and Vuelta, the riders’ union responded surprisingly quickly. CPA-director Adam Hansen wrote on his official channels: “I was laughed at when I proposed this, by people who have never ridden the Giro in freezing rain and snow, or the Vuelta in scorching heat.”

“The tradition is holding the sport back,” Hansen wrote, but added he would gladly follow up on Pogačar’s remarks. In a longer post he noted: “I can say first-hand that organisers sometimes come to complain when stages are cancelled because of snow or heat — so reversing the races could be a solution.”

Pogačar also argued that the rest of the calendar needs to be considered — especially now that climate change leads to warmer, longer summers and winters that often stretch well into March. “It’s not crazy to let the calendar change along with the weather. If you start the season two weeks later, for example, Spanish races early in the calendar could benefit from less rain too.”