Tadej Pogačar hits the gravel as Vuelta a España preparation begins

Tadej Pogačar won the Tour de France for a fifth time just over a week ago. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates-XRG was once again incredibly dominant, also collecting five stage victories during La Grande Boucle. Before turning his attention to the Vuelta a España, the world champion decided to enjoy himself in a completely different cycling discipline—one that also serves a practical purpose for what lies ahead.

Pogačar returned to his native Slovenia after the Tour and spent time in Komenda, the village where he was born. As he does every year, he also held a criterium there. After first winning the professional race, he organised the “Pogi Challenge.” More than 1,000 amateur riders attempted to stay ahead of him on the Krvavec climb, but only Germany’s Frederik Niessen managed to do so.

After that, it really was time for the superstar to recharge. There were no demanding training sessions or races for the world champion, who eased off following the Tour de France. Staying off the bike completely proved impossible, however, so he brought out his gravel bike. On Monday, he completed a 62-kilometer ride on the unpaved roads and forest trails surrounding Komenda.

Where Pogačar would normally be knocking every KOM off the top of the Strava leaderboards, this was a very different kind of afternoon. Averaging 27 kilometers per hour, the emphasis was mainly on enjoying the warm weather and the beautiful Slovenian countryside. One day later, he repeated his gravel adventure with a ride of almost 40 kilometers, spending close to an hour and a half in the saddle.

These are important days for the Slovenian, who needs to recharge his batteries. He will soon need a full tank again after recently announcing that he will compete in the Vuelta a España. It will be only his second appearance in the Spanish Grand Tour. His first came during his debut professional season in 2019, when he finished third overall and won three stages, but he has never taken the red jersey home.

The gravel riding is not purely for entertainment, either, as this year’s Vuelta also features an unpaved section. Stage 6 to Castelló includes the Puerto El Bartolo as its decisive challenge. The climb is 9.1 kilometers long at an average gradient of 7.1 percent, with roughly four kilometers taking place on gravel roads. There are also sections where the gradient rises comfortably above 16 percent.