Felix Gall and Richard Carapaz on racing Tadej Pogačar at the Vuelta a España: 'He's human'

On Saturday, the Vuelta a España—the third and final Grand Tour of 2026—will kick off in Monaco. It will feature one clear favourite: Tadej Pogačar of UAE Emirates-XRG, world champion and a natural-born winner. After Pogacar, the bookmakers list a small group of riders, including Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost).

Both the Austrian and the Ecuadorian were invited by Unipublic to attend Thursday’s press conference. Carapaz, winner of the polka-dot jersey in the Tour de France, announced two days earlier that he would be going all out for the general classification in the Vuelta a España. His team, EF Education-EasyPost, will fully support him in this endeavor.

"We have a clear goal, and that is to go for the general classification," the Vuelta organization shared in Carapaz's comments in the informational email it routinely sends out for races organized by A.S.O. and its affiliates. "We know we have a good chance, and we don’t want to let it slip away."

Carapaz also knows from the Tour de France how to take on Pogacar. “Of course, Tadej is the best rider in the world, and I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve never been in a position to compete against him for the overall victory in a Grand Tour, so I think it will be pretty emotional for me. I’m going to do my absolute best. "If we win, great, and if we finish second or third, that’s not bad either, right?" he says, expressing his thoughts.

Gall already battled it out with that other world-class rider in Grand Tours—Jonas Vingegaard—for the Giro d'Italia victory in May, and he hopes to repeat that feat in the Vuelta. In the Tour of Burgos, which he won earlier this month, he showed that he’s back in top form, giving the Decathlon CMA CGM team renewed hope for a podium finish in a Grand Tour.

"I'm obviously very happy with the preparation and the victory in Burgos," said Gall on Thursday, noting that he will be joined by Leo Bisiaux, Matthew Riccitello, and his confidant Gregor Mühlberger, among others.

"It's given me a lot of confidence and high expectations. With Tadej here, it'll be tough to compete for the win. I think he'll be a bit tired after the Tour, but still: 'He's human, but he's Tadej,'" he puts it aptly.

"Ultimately, all I can do is focus on myself and give it my all. Another podium finish would be great. But there are quite a few strong riders aiming for the podium, including Carapaz, Onley, Skjelmose, Roglič, and Mas…," says Gall, aware of who he might have to contend with.