Tadej Pogacar is poised to return to the Vuelta a Espana, marking his first appearance in the Spanish Grand Tour since 2019. This follows his recent record-equalling fifth Tour de France victory.
His 2019 Vuelta performance, where he secured three stage wins, the best young rider's jersey, and third place overall, propelled him towards his current dominance. A victory in Spain would see Pogacar join an elite group of eight riders who have won all three Grand Tours.
Only three riders, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, and Chris Froome, have won both the Tour and the Vuelta in the same season. Froome was the last to achieve this in 2017, after the Vuelta moved to its September slot.
Pogacar's current season has also seen him win Milan-San Remo. The Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix, and the Olympic road race are noted as the remaining major gaps in his resume.