Pogacar can start the Vuelta right at his doorstep, but will the time trial through F1 streets tempt the World Champion to participate?

Pogacar finished third in the Tour of Spain in 2019, his very first Grand Tour, with three stage wins and the white youth jersey. A year later, he surprisingly won the Tour de France, and since then, the train has left the station. With one Giro victory and already four Tour victories to his name, the question is: when will he tick off the Vuelta?

Jonas Vingegaard was the best for Visma | Lease a Bike in 2025, also adding another victory to his list of achievements after two previous Tour victories. However, Pogacar has so many goals in 2026 that it is questionable whether he will choose the Vuelta after the Tour. Or will he not do the Tour de France? Or will he add three weeks in Spain after all, on his way to the World Championships in Canada?

It was already known in mid-2024 that the Vuelta would start from Pogacar's backyard in 2026. At that time, it was announced that Monaco would organize the Vuelta begin next year. On Saturday evening, more information was revealed. The third Grand Tour of the year will start with a 9.6-kilometer individual time trial.

The riders will start in front of the casino and finish on Boulevard Albert, where the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix ends every year. Of course, Pogacar is not the only one living in Monaco; many other riders live there as well. It is a great place to live from a tax perspective, but it is also convenient for training, as you can easily ride into the mountains.

Monaco already organized the Giro d'Italia start in 1966 and the Tour de France in 2009. With the Vuelta in 2026, it completes the hat trick. Prince Albert of Monaco said Saturday in Monte Carlo: "Through this sporting event, we have the opportunity to show the world another side of our country, one that is committed to promoting popular sport in its noblest sense. Hosting La Vuelta is much more than a celebration of sport, its athletes and performance in a highly demanding discipline."

The Tour of Spain will start on August 22, 2026, with the team presentation two days earlier on the 20th. The individual time trial will take place entirely on the streets of Monaco, incorporating all the highlights. The first stage on Sunday, August 23, will start from Place du Palais Princier, before the riders head to Spain via France.