Tadej Pogacar will not race the Vuelta a Espana after UAE Team Emirates-XRG named Joao Almeida and Juan Ayuso as co-leaders for the final Grand Tour of the season.
Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) completed his fourth Tour de France victory on Sunday and said he would take some time to consider his Vuelta participation.
Despite the Vuelta being the outstanding Grand Tour from his collection, he has elected to skip the race after a gruelling win.
“After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break. The Vuelta is of course a race I would dearly love to return to. I have fantastic memories there from 2019, but now the body is telling me to rest,” said Pogacar.
Pogacar will instead focus on Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec and Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal in September, as well as a title defence at the World Road Championships in Rwanda.
“I’m excited to go back to Canada; the races are tough but beautiful, and they fit my style well. I’ll be aiming to be back racing well again for that part of the season and for the World Championships especially.”
It means no Vuelta reunion with Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who finished a distant second to Pogacar at the Tour despite an absorbing fight for yellow.
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