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

26.07.2022 - 13:21 eurosport.com

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.

Ad/> The 23-year-old finished second behind Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France. Tour de FranceDaredevil descending and THAT handshake – 13 best moments of the Tour15 HOURS AGO 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.

Sporting on focus Tour De-France Tadej Pogacar Jonas Vingegaard France Spain Italy Australia Canada Uae Slovenia

Jumbo-Visma’s masterplan to unravel Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) at the 2022 Tour de France was partly inspired by an unlikely source: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. Jonas Vingegaard ended Jumbo-Visma’s wait for the yellow jersey in Paris on Sunday, with his triumph teed up by a spectacular double assault on Pogacar on Stage 11. Ad/> Vingegaard and team-mate Primoz Roglic, then still in GC contention, took it in turns to accelerate clear on the kinder slopes of the Col du Galibier, forcing Pogacar to close each move and expend energy.

Chris Froome in his prime could have lived with Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, says Ineos' Luke Rowe

Chris Froome could have lived with Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar in his prime, says Ineos Grenadiers' Luke Rowe. Rowe had a front-row seat for Froome's Tour de France domination, acting as a domestique as Froome racked up his four yellow jerseys between 2013 and 2017. Ad/> With Froome, 37, approaching the twilight of his career and still recovering from a serious crash in 2019, the days of his leadership of the peloton seem to be over with his hotseat taken over firstly by Pogacar — champion in 2020 and 2021 — and now Vingegaard, who took the 2022 Tour title.

Tour de France runner-up Tadej Pogacar to skip Vuelta a Espana

Tour de France runner-up Tadej Pogacar will return to competition in Spain at the Clasica San Sebastian this week but will skip the final Grand Tour of the season, the Vuelta a Espana, his team UAE Emirates confirmed.

Tadej Pogacar to return to competition in Spain but set to miss Vuelta

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar is all set to return to competition in Spain this weekend after finishing second in an enthralling Tour de France on Sunday.

‘You just don't normally see that’ – Tadej Pogacar lauded as ‘greedy’ Jumbo-Visma seal fifth stage win of Tour de France

Jumbo-Visma’s brilliant Tour de France continued unabated on Friday on Stage 19 when Christophe Laporte made an optimistic surge to victory on the ramped finale in Cahors. However, the racing instinct and audacity of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) was as notable as the Dutch outfit’s continued domination — which Dan Lloyd said bordered «greedy» — of the blue ribband event.