{"id":259559,"date":"2026-08-25T21:17:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T21:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/25\/what-now-for-the-vuelta-a-espana-after-tadej-pogacars-trademark-display-of-gc-power-a-normally-unpredictable-race-heads-into-uncharted-territory-analysis\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T21:17:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T21:17:51","slug":"what-now-for-the-vuelta-a-espana-after-tadej-pogacars-trademark-display-of-gc-power-a-normally-unpredictable-race-heads-into-uncharted-territory-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/25\/what-now-for-the-vuelta-a-espana-after-tadej-pogacars-trademark-display-of-gc-power-a-normally-unpredictable-race-heads-into-uncharted-territory-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"What now for the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a? After Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s trademark display of GC power, a normally unpredictable race heads into uncharted territory &#8211; Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-c338c988-a0c8-11f1-9f0a-3da90d4c5b6b\">In just three days of racing in the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/vuelta-a-espana\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/vuelta-a-espana\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/vuelta-a-espana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a<\/a>, Tadej Poga\u010dar has held the GC leader&#8217;s jersey from stage 1 and has the lead in the mountains and the points classification. He&#8217;s scored two victories &#8211; one each in a time trial, a difficult mountain stage, and took third place in a reduced bunch sprint. He has over three minutes on his closest rival in the GC standings.<\/p>\n<p>By anybody&#8217;s standards, even his own almost absurdly high ones, Poga\u010dar, and by extension UAE Team Emirates-XRG &#8211; who are also, unsurprisingly, the top squad in the teams classification &#8211; are operating in a league of their own at this year&#8217;s Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a. In the process, they are turning the Vuelta into a very different affair than is usual.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"ecom-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-c338c988-a0c8-11f1-9f0a-3da90d4c5b6b-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Not even the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/giro-d-italia-2024\/stage-20\/results\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/giro-d-italia-2024\/stage-20\/results\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/giro-d-italia-2024\/stage-20\/results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2024 Giro d&#8217;Italia<\/a>, where Poga\u010dar ended up winning six stages and the overall, can compare to this scale of domination, and not just because two years ago in Italy, Poga\u010dar was beaten on the first day in Turin in the sprint by Jhonatan Narva\u00e9z and Max Schachmann. Although Poga\u010dar had moved into the overall lead at Oropa&#8217;s summit finish the following day, his advantage on stage 4 was still a &#8216;mere&#8217; (in other words, relatively normal for a Grand Tour) 46 seconds on Geraint Thomas.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<p><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand\">Cyclingnews<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">After an almost equal time period in the Vuelta &#8211; and this after the suspension of stage 3 because of the hailstorms &#8211; he has a 3:21 lead on his closest rival, Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Nobody needs reminding that Grand Tours are often won by far less, while in Poga\u010dar&#8217;s case (see the Giro 2024 again) it&#8217;s often by far more. So this is a considerable advantage so early in the game.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Comparisons between the Vuelta and this year&#8217;s Tour de France are possible, of course, where Poga\u010dar all but killed off any chance of the opposition toppling him from power, barring disaster, as early as the Col du Tourmalet on stage 6. By then, Poga\u010dar had also won two stages and his time gap of 2:38 at the finish of stage 6 was more than respectable, if only a second slower than the 2:39 he carved out with his 50-kilometre breakaway to Andorra in the Vuelta.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Yet overall, his lead in July on Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) was a good 40 seconds less &#8211; 2:42 compared to his current advantage on Rogli\u010d in the Vuelta &#8211; and the Dane was still talking about beating Poga\u010dar all the way through to the Alps. Right now, it&#8217;d be hard to find a dissenting voice from the opinion that all that has happened so far in this year&#8217;s Vuelta is what the vast majority of people thought before it started: that the race would be Poga\u010dar&#8217;s to lose.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It is possible that Poga\u010dar will opt to take a different path than Tony Rominger in 1994, the last rider to lead the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a from beginning to end, and UAE might let a breakaway with a non-GC threat make a move on Wednesday&#8217;s stage 5 that ultimately takes the red jersey.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-iuvLUTEshCuxf2Kbvtyujc\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-iuvLUTEshCuxf2Kbvtyujc slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s also possible that the sprinters&#8217; teams will put a stop to that, as it&#8217;s their first chance for a full bunch sprint in this year&#8217;s race. There are mighty few of those in this year&#8217;s Vuelta. From then on, with multiple mountain stages piling up in the Vuelta &#8211; as usual &#8211; the chances that a move will manage to stick and give UAE and Poga\u010dar something of a break from their leader&#8217;s duties will diminish with each day that goes by.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">A far more recent sense of history repeating itself was already palpable at the finish line in Andorra, where Chris Froome was the last rider to take the Tour-Vuelta double back in 2017. The way Poga\u010dar took the stage by the scruff of the neck &#8211; Felix Gall&#8217;s attempt to outpower him lasted all of 300 metres before he had to throw in the towel &#8211; marked an even more familiar, recent pattern in Poga\u010dar&#8217;s wins in Grand Tours.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Even if the team and Poga\u010dar are both rightly predicting caution, given it is almost ridiculously early to assume the GC battle is over, there&#8217;s no denying that this was pretty much how the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a was expected to play out. Looking at the later goals in the season, there was always the sense that Poga\u010dar would lay down the law early and then play it more conservatively in the second half of the race. Andorra was the most likely key place for part of that process to happen, and so it did.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In addition, the way that the chase all but shut down behind him on stage 4 very quickly suggests that when it comes to the idea of taking on the Slovenian in the GC, few are truly up for the task. The battle for the podium is, however, much more equal, while the return of names like Enric Mas (Movistar), as well as the ample confirmation that Rogli\u010d is fast overcoming his pre-race injuries, suggest there are plenty of actors wanting to stand next to Poga\u010dar on the final podium in Granada. And this is likely the way the main narrative of the Vuelta will develop, even if Poga\u010dar continues to go for more mountain top wins as and when he feels like it.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">So if UAE and Poga\u010dar are logically not taking anything for granted, barring a total upheaval on GC, the already very slim odds of anyone beating the Slovenian are now all but non-existent. It also means that the Vuelta, traditionally a race of comebacks and last-chance saloons, has become a much more predictable affair than usual. Even last year, given the scale of the outside protests affecting the Vuelta, Vingegaard&#8217;s status as top GC favourite was much less solid than Poga\u010dar&#8217;s this August.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">So what can we expect from now on? If the Tour and the Giro &#8211; where Vingegaard took an equally clear lead from early &#8211; are anything to go by, the battle for the podium is only just beginning, and the number of potential candidates remains encouragingly high.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Stage 6&#8217;s ascent of El Puerto de El Bartolo, with its gravel section near the summit, could prove to be the next real GC battle. But Poga\u010dar&#8217;s position has now been more than clearly established, and the Vuelta could be where he sets the barrier even higher in terms of total domination in Grand Tours. Not even a three-week race which usually features so many twists and turns as the Vuelta may be able to avoid that &#8211; and Poga\u010dar taking such an early advantage only underlines that fact.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><strong>For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You&#8217;ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! <\/strong><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=LV26\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=LV26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-article-category=\"pro-cycling\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=LV26\" rel=\"noopener\"><u><strong>Join today.<\/strong><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/what-now-for-the-vuelta-a-espana-after-tadej-pogacars-trademark-display-of-gc-power-a-normally-unpredictable-race-heads-into-uncharted-territory-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In just three days of racing in the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, Tadej Poga\u010dar has held the GC leader&#8217;s jersey from stage 1 and has the lead in the mountains and the points classification. He&#8217;s scored two victories &#8211; one each in a time trial, a difficult mountain stage, and took third place in a reduced [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":259560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-259559","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}