Vingegaard and Roglic keen to face Pogacar—yet both openly flirt with a different Grand Tour

Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič could well line up at the 2026 Tour de France, but after the Saitama Criterium their comments also pointed toward other targets. For both leaders—at Visma | Lease a Bike and Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe—the lure is a piece of history.

We’ve seen Roglič plenty in post-season criteriums and show events—and he’s already talking about 2026. The Slovenian was enthusiastic about Remco Evenepoel’s impending arrival at Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe and warmed to the idea of riding the Vuelta a España again.

Speaking to AS, he said: “It would be fantastic to go for a fifth overall victory at the Vuelta next year. That’s something I’d love to fight for." Roglič currently shares the record of four Vuelta wins with Roberto Heras; a fifth would make him the sole record holder. "I hope to be on the start line—that’s my wish. But we still have to discuss it with the team.”

Vingegaard, of course, was also a welcome guest in Japan. The Dane won the Vuelta in 2025 and finished second in the Tour de France. He has since done the Tour of Spain three times (also finishing second in 2023) and since 2021 he has always been there in the Tour. He won twice and finished second, three times behind Tadej Pogacar.

Like Roglic, Vingegaard is not shying away from a Tour battle with Pogacar in 2026, he said at DH. “Sometimes he really does seem unbeatable… But if I were to say now that he truly was unbeatable, that would mean I’m giving up. I won’t do that; I think I have a chance to beat him.”

Still, the question is whether we will see Vingegaard in the Tour in 2026. And if so, in what form. He called the Tour de France "the main goal," but at the same time flirted with the tour he has never done: the Giro d'Italia. Asked if he would rather win the Giro in 2026 and thus all three grand tours at least once or the Tour a third time, he replied, “Then I’d rather win all three Grand Tours.”

The choices for a program were not yet made in November, but Vingegaard already encouraged Visma | Lease a Bike to think hard about a Giro start, possibly in combination with the Tour. Pogacar did that combo successfully as recently as 2024, winning both grand tours. Can Vingegaard do the same? 'The question is whether we can combine them,' he left the answer still open.