Tadej Pogačar won’t be lining up for the 2025 Vuelta a España. UAE Team Emirates confirmed Tuesday that the Slovenian star is sitting out the Spanish Grand Tour.
The four-time Tour de France champion, who had already cast doubt on his participation during the final week of the Tour, will instead target the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Montréal et de Québec in in September, followed by the world championships in Rwanda.
“After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break,” Pogačar said in a team statement. “The Vuelta is a race I love — I have great memories from 2019 — but my body needs rest. I’m excited to return to Canada. Those races are beautiful, and they suit my style well. They’ll help me get back into rhythm for the world championships.”
UAE named its eight-man Vuelta squad, led by João Almeida and Juan Ayuso. Almeida is looking for redemption after crashing out of the Tour in service of Pogačar, while Ayuso will be eyeing a result on home soil.
“The Vuelta is special to me,” Ayuso said. “I’m 100 per cent focused and ready to give everything — for the team and for myself.”
Many had hoped that the world champ would enter his first Spanish Grand Tour. But many have also speculated the season has taken a toll on him, something he hinted at in Tour de France interviews towards the end of the race.
Still, great news for Canadian fans that we get to see one of the greatest cyclists of all-time here again! And btw, your pals at Canadian Cycling Magazine will be on the ground for the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Montréal et de Québec, if you can’t make it. (But try if you can. It’s pretty great to see WorldTour racing in our backyard!
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…