tadej pogacar returns
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Tadej Pogacar returns to Vuelta a España, eyes first career title

MONACO: Cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar is set to return to the Vuelta a España for the first time since 2019, as the Slovenian aims to capture the only Grand Tour title missing from his glittering career.

His team, UAE Team Emirates, confirmed on Monday that the reigning Tour de France champion will compete in this year’s Vuelta, which begins on August 22.

The announcement has immediately made the 27-year-old the overwhelming favourite for the prestigious 21-stage race, as he looks to add another milestone to an already remarkable career.

Pogacar last competed in the Vuelta in 2019, where he finished an impressive third overall and claimed three stage victories, performances that introduced him to the global cycling stage.

“I’m excited to say I’m going back to La Vuelta,” Pogacar said in a statement released by his team.

“It was my first-ever Grand Tour back in 2019 and an amazing experience. Spain is a country I love to visit and race in, and I think the time is right to go back.”

The Slovenian added that his motivation remains high following another successful Tour de France campaign and described the Vuelta as one of his biggest goals for the remainder of the season.

Pogacar heads into the race with history within reach. Having already won the Tour de France this year and previously claimed the Giro d’Italia in 2024, victory in Spain would complete his collection of all three Grand Tours.

He could also become only the fourth cyclist in history to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España in the same season.

With UAE Team Emirates expected to field a strong supporting squad, Pogacar will be determined to end the year on another high and further strengthen his reputation as one of cycling’s greatest riders of the modern era.

The Vuelta is expected to feature many of the sport’s leading names, but all eyes will be on Pogacar as he chases another historic achievement and bids to complete one of cycling’s rarest career accomplishments.

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