Pogacar skips Spanish Vuelta to recover from Tour de France victory

Four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar has decided against taking part in the Spanish Vuelta next month as he recovers after winning cycling’s biggest race.

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“After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break,” Pogačar said.

“The Vuelta is of course a race I would dearly love to return to. I have fantastic memories there from 2019 (finishing third), but now the body is telling me to rest.”

The Slovenian rider from the UAE Team Emirates-XRG was not included in the eight-man squad for the Vuelta, which will start on Aug. 23. The team will be led by Portuguese rider João Almeida who retired from the Tour earlier this month after fracturing a rib - and Spain's Juan Ayuso.

After doing the Giro d'Italia and Tour double last year, Pogačar had planned to ride both the Tour and the Vuelta this summer.

“The idea this year was for Tadej to return to the Vuelta, but the season has been a long one for him,” the team’s sports manager Matxin Fernández said.