Pogacar out to complete Grand Tour hat-trick with Vuelta win
FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 21 - Monaco to Nice - Monaco, France - July 21, 2024 UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar walks onto the podium wearing the yellow jersey with a trophy after winning the Tour de France REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo
Aug 21 : Tadej Pogacar wants to fulfil a "big dream" by adding a Vuelta a Espana title to his trophy cabinet when he returns to the race for the first time since 2019.
The Vuelta remains the only Grand Tour still not won by 27-year-old, who claimed a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title last month and clinched victory at the Giro d'Italia in 2024.
Victory would make Pogacar the ninth rider to win all three Grand Tours, a feat accomplished by rival Jonas Vingegaard earlier this year with his victory at the Giro d'Italia.
"It's been quite a short time after the Tour de France to come here, but I had enough time to recover, and this starts close to my home," Pogacar told reporters on Thursday.
"I'm looking forward to it, it is one missing goal from my career, so I will give my best to try and win.
"For me to win all three Grand Tours has been a big goal and dream for a few years now."
However, the Slovenian said he could not afford to leave the Vuelta completely spent, with the World Championships, European Championships and Il Lombardia still to come.
"I will have to see my shape in the first few stages and always thinking about the three big races afterwards," added the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider, who finished third in his only previous Vuelta appearance on his Grand Tour debut.
"I shouldn't end this race completely destroyed. I need to race smart and then see in the first few stages how we approach it."
The Vuelta runs from August 22 to September 13 and begins in Monaco.
