Tadej Pogačar Eyes Return to Vuelta a España After Giro-Tour Double Triumph
After securing the elusive Giro-Tour double, Tadej Pogačar has opted to skip La Vuelta this year, leaving it as the only Grand Tour absent from his impressive palmarès. The burning question among cycling enthusiasts now is: When will Pogačar make his return to the Vuelta?
In a recent interview, Alex Carera, Pogačar’s agent, provided some insight into the Slovenian superstar’s future plans.
“Look, I never intervene in race decisions; that is something the team decides. But Tadej sometimes asks me what I think about this or that, and I can tell you that every year he sets himself a new objective, a different challenge,” Carera revealed.
He continued, “Two seasons ago, it was the Tour of Flanders; this year, it has been the Giro d’Italia. In that line, I know that he wants to return to two races. One is the Tour Down Under because he raced it once and didn’t win it—he was very close to the top 10 [it was his first race as a professional cyclist]. The other is Vuelta a España.”
Pogačar’s insatiable drive to conquer every challenge is well-documented, with Carera highlighting his relentless pursuit of victories in various races.
“Do you know why he rode the Volta a Catalunya this year?” Carera asked. “Because he had never won a WorldTour stage race in Spain. He had ridden an Itzulia but didn’t win it; he had ridden a Vuelta and finished third. This year, he wasn’t going to be able to do the Vuelta because he was doing the Giro and the Tour, nor the Basque Country because it was very close to the Giro, so the only option left was Catalunya.”
Pogačar’s desire to fill his calendar with victories seems unstoppable, and Carera hinted that the Slovenian might soon turn his attention to other races.
“Soon, he will also want to ride the Tour of the Basque Country because his dream is to win all the races on the calendar. I’m sure that in 2025 or 2026, he will return to Vuelta a España, but it will be something that he will decide with his team and those closest to him. Right now, I would say that the chances of seeing him here next year are 50%.”
While the cycling world eagerly anticipates Pogačar’s next move, his absence from this year’s Vuelta only heightens the anticipation for his eventual return to Spain’s Grand Tour.
