It’s official: UAE confirms Tadej Pogačar will race the Vuelta a España

The question had been hanging over the cycling world for some time, but Tadej Pogačar continued to remain deliberately vague. On Monday morning, his team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, finally ended all the speculation: the world champion will line up at the Vuelta a España. The Slovenian will return to the Spanish Grand Tour seven years after making his first and only appearance in 2019.

“UAE Team Emirates-XRG have confirmed a formidable eight-rider squad for the 2026 Vuelta a España,” the team announced in an official press release. Pogačar will lead a balanced and experienced line-up as the Emirati team looks to build on its success at the Tour de France.

Pogačar will have an exceptionally strong team around him. João Almeida returns after missing the Tour de France and should, on paper, be the rider capable of staying with his leader longest when the road rises. UAE even describes the Portuguese rider as another genuine general classification option following an outstanding season.

Almeida is certainly not the only rider who should be able to provide support deep into the mountain stages. Jay Vine, Pavel Sivakov, Grand Tour debutant Pablo Torres and Kevin Vermaerke give Pogačar several more powerful climbing domestiques. Experienced riders Domen Novak and Ivo Oliveira complete UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s eight-man selection for the race later this month.

Pogačar’s Vuelta will begin in Monaco, the place he calls home, with the mountains arriving early in the race. His main objective will naturally be overall victory. The Slovenian has already won the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France five times, meaning a Vuelta triumph would place him in the exclusive group of riders to have won all three Grand Tours. Jonas Vingegaard has already completed that achievement after adding the Giro d’Italia to his Tour and Vuelta victories.

“I’m excited to say I’m going back to La Vuelta,” Pogačar said. He explained that the 2019 race was his first Grand Tour and an unforgettable experience. The Slovenian added that he loves visiting and racing in Spain and believes this is the right moment to return. His motivation remains high as he looks to finish the year strongly, with the Vuelta now one of his biggest objectives. Pogačar also stressed the strength of the team and said UAE hopes to achieve significant results in Spain.