Tadej Pogačar enters Vuelta 2026 as heavy favorite

Tadej Pogačar enters the 2026 Vuelta a España as the heavy favorite, seeking the only Grand Tour title missing from his career. His UAE Team Emirates squad includes João Almeida, Jay Vine, and Pavel Sivakov. The competition appears weakened following the Tour de France, with several top contenders like Remco Evenepoel and Isaac Del Toro opting to skip the race, while Jonas Vingegaard is sidelined due to a fractured clavicle.

Former champion Alejandro Valverde recently commented on Pogačar’s dominance, noting that while the Slovenian is currently the best in the world, he nearly managed to challenge him during the 2022 Strade Bianche while Valverde was 42 years old. Valverde noted that although he could not defeat him, the performance remains a significant personal milestone.