Tadej Pogačar vents frustration at the pre-Vuelta a España press conference: 'Isn’t worth answering'

Tadej Pogacar will start the Vuelta a España on Saturday in his hometown of Monaco as the top favorite . Everyone—both within the peloton and outside it—sees the Slovenian rider from UAE Emirates-XRG as the clear favorite, and that was also the angle taken by some Spanish-speaking journalists at the press conference—much to Pogacar’s irritation.

A remark suggesting that the competition in Spain is much weaker than at the Tour de France clearly made the Slovenian uncomfortable. “Actually, this question isn’t worth answering,” he replied to the journalist.

"I don't see why the field in the Tour would be much tougher. We have some fantastic talents at the start here, and it's going to be a very tough race and a real battle. I expect everyone here to be in top form. There are some incredibly good riders at the start, so it's never going to be easy."

Pogacar also skillfully deflected the second question—whether he would ride in the red jersey from start to finish. “I’m going to do my best, but the competition for the time trial on the first day is very strong. There are a few fast and technically skilled riders who can ride very hard on this course. I just want to start the race, get a feel for how things are going, and I don’t necessarily see it as a stage that suits me perfectly.”

So we’ll start in Monaco, Pogacar’s home base. “I don’t think the rules allow you to sleep in your own home during the race—though I’m not 100% sure—but it would be nice. It feels amazing to race and train here—great roads and good weather all year round. It’s a paradise for cyclists. You’ve got the sea, the mountains—everything. When we moved here in 2019, we thought we’d go back to Slovenia after our careers, but you grow as a person, and we’ve built our lives here.”

For the technical opening time trial, it’s an advantage that Pogacar knows Monaco like the back of his hand. “I really know the roads here very well; I ride my motorcycle, drive my car, ride my bike, and walk around here. It’s not ideal, and it won’t be a flat time trial at 60 km/h. You’ll have to use the brakes and adopt a slightly different strategy than we’re used to.”

"But if you do a recce beforehand, you’ll spot the dangerous spots and take it a little easier there. It reminds me a bit of the start in Copenhagen (Tour de France 2022, ed., a prologue in the city where we also rode through a park or garden). Ultimately, every rider has to pace himself; it’s up to the rider how fast he goes through the turns,” explains Pogacar.

"It was a pretty short turnaround after the Tour to get here, but I think there was enough time to recover. The start is also so close to my home, so I’m really looking forward to it. I hope my legs will be in good shape. This is still a missing goal in my career, so I’m going to do my absolute best to try to win. I’ve wanted to ride the Vuelta for a long time, especially since it’s in Monaco now."

However, it’s still a long way from Monaco to Granada, where we’ll finish in three weeks. “I’ll have to see how my form is in the first few stages. I have to keep in mind that there are still three major races waiting for me after the Vuelta: the World Championships, the European Championships, and Lombardy. I can’t come out of the Vuelta completely wiped out. We have to ride smart and make the most of these three weeks.”