Prince Albert II of Monaco has fuelled speculation about Tadej Pogacar’s possible participation in the Spanish Vuelta, which starts in the city-state. “Tadej Pogacar has confirmed he will be at the start; we’ll see,” the 68-year-old was quoted as saying by the sports newspaper *L’Équipe*. On Friday, he attended the 13th stage of the Tour de France, in which cycling star Pogacar leads the general classification.
It remains to be seen whether Prince Albert was referring to Pogacar’s performance in the race or simply to his presence at the opening stage. After all, the four-time Tour champion lives in Monaco.
Pogacar has competed in the Vuelta once so far. However, the 27-year-old is still missing the overall victory from his trophy collection. Recently, there have been increasing reports that Pogacar will be competing in the Tour of Spain. This has not yet been officially confirmed.
Pogacar’s main rival, Jonas Vingegaard from Denmark, recently became the first rider to win all three major national stage races following his victory in the Giro d’Italia. Only eight riders have achieved this feat – including the Belgian legend Eddy Merckx.
The Vuelta starts on 22 August
The Vuelta a España begins on 22 August with a time trial on the streets of the Principality. The second stage also starts in Monaco, before the race continues into Spain. The Vuelta finishes on 13 September in Granada.
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