Tadej Pogacar to skip Vuelta a Espana to focus on World Championships and one-day classics

Tadej Pogacar has opted out of the Vuelta a Espana this year to instead focus on the World Championships in Australia and the autumn one-day classics.

The Slovenian had been due to race a second Grand Tour of the year, but UAE Team Emirates have confirmed that Pogacar will no longer be part of their team for the three-week Spanish race.

Pogacar will return to the road at the Clasica de San Sebastian on Saturday July 30, before taking a four-week break from racing.

He will build up for the World Championships in Geelong – which take place between September 19 and 25 – with races in France and Canada before closing his season with the defence of his Il Lombardia crown in Italy in early October.

It would have been the two-time Tour de France winner’s first participation at the event since a break-through podium finish on Grand Tour debut at the 2019 edition of the Spanish stage race.

With Pogacar absent, UAE Team Emirates may instead be fronted by Joao Almeida, who was forced to abandon late in the Giro d’Italia while fourth in the general classification after a positive Covid test.

Pogacar’s compatriot Primoz Roglic is also a doubt for the Vuelta.

While it was hoped that Roglic’s pulling out of the remainder of the race may afford him sufficient time to recover ahead of the Vuelta, Jumbo-Visma sporting director Merijn Zeeman suggested that the 32-year-old could yet miss the event.

“Primoz hopes to be at the start of the Vuelta,” said Zeeman.

“It will be difficult, and we will study it in the coming weeks. It’s obvious that Primoz was very impacted by his crash, but the doctors continue their work.”

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