Tadej Pogacar had a long spring with victories and battles for many weeks in a row where he has achieved a lot. In May he began the specific preparation for the Tour de France which included many weeks in altitude, a brutal Criterium du Dauphiné; and then three weeks of high-pressure racing and environments that have left the World Champion on the limit. With that into consideration, he has decided to forego his much anticipated return to the Vuelta a España.
Pogacar’s Tour-Vuelta double had been reported since back in December at the team’s first training camp in Benidorm, and over the course of the entire season questions have been asked. The answer was always a consistent ‘the decision will be made after the Tour’. It all depended on the Slovenian’s sensations in the weeks leading up to the Vuelta, and the answer was now clear to everyone. Pogacar showed many signs of fatigue and even boredom in the final week of the race, also showing focus in what he would do after the Tour as means of enjoyment.
He achieved his fourth overall win but unlike Jonas Vingegaard, he will not follow that up with a second Grand Tour. UAE Team Emirates – XRG have become the first team to confirm their lineup for the Spanish Grand Tour and Juan Ayuso will be taking his place, co-leading the team with João Almeida who had a premature end to his Tour de France.
“After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break.” Pogacar explained in a press release issued by the team. Here, it was confirmed that he will switch schedules with Ayuso to instead take his spot in the Canadian classics and likely follow a similar calendar to 2024. The World Championships in Kigali will be a big goal as well as Il Lombardia, but he may also aim for the European Championships in Drôme where the hilly course suits him perfectly.
“The Vuelta is of course a race I would dearly love to return to. I have fantastic memories there from 2019, but now the body is telling me to rest. I’m excited to go back to Canada; the races are tough but beautiful, and they fit my style well. I’ll be aiming to be back racing well again for that part of the season and for the World Championships especially.”