Tadej Pogacar will ride the Vuelta a España this August, chasing a Grand Tour treble — winning all three of cycling's major three-week races in a single season. The Vuelta, Spain's Grand Tour, starts on 22 August. UAE Team Emirates confirmed the news on social media platform X with a brief message: "It's true — he's coming back" (The Guardian).

Pogacar, a five-time Tour de France winner, will double the Tour with the Vuelta — riding both three-week races in the same season rather than resting after his July triumph. The Tour de France and the Vuelta a España are two of the three Grand Tours, the pinnacle events of stage racing, each lasting roughly three weeks. Winning all three in one year would be one of the rarest feats in the sport's history.

The Vuelta holds a special place in Pogacar's career. He announced himself to the cycling world at the 2019 edition as a 20-year-old, winning three mountain stages — Cortals d'Encamp, Los Machucos, and Plataforma de Gredos — and climbing from fifth overall to a podium finish on the penultimate day (UAE Team Emirates). That performance, launched from 38 kilometres out on stage 20, remains one of the breakout rides of his career.

UAE Team Emirates' plans for the Vuelta have shifted since the team initially outlined its lineup. On 29 July 2025, the squad confirmed that João Almeida would lead its Vuelta roster with Juan Ayuso as co-leader, while Pogacar would target the Canadian Classics after his Tour victory (UAE Team Emirates). Reports surfaced on 30 July 2026 that Pogacar was rumoured for the Vuelta startlist, with further details expected the following week (Velo). Today's confirmation makes it official.

What makes this stand out is the sheer ambition. A rider lining up for a second Grand Tour within weeks of winning the first is already rare. Attempting to win it — and thereby completing the treble — puts Pogacar in territory almost no rider has explored. The physical demands of recovering from three weeks of racing, resetting, and going again for another three at winning pace are immense.

The Vuelta's route, typically heavy on steep climbs and searing Spanish heat in late August and September, will test whether the Tour has left anything in the tank. For cycling fans, the prospect of watching the sport's dominant rider push for a treble — on the roads where his career began — is the headline story of the late season.