Tadej Pogacar is rolling into La Vuelta a Espana less than a month after snagging his fifth Tour de France victory, and let’s be real, the Slovenian superstar looks flat out unbeatable right now.
Pogacar’s Unstoppable Roll vs. The Field
The burning question on everyone’s mind has to be: can anyone even touch Tadej Pogacar? The dude just won his fifth Tour de France. He’s only competed in the Vuelta once before, way back in 2019, when he was just 20 years old and still managed to grab third in the general classification. That was the year his countryman, Primoz Roglic, took the maillot rojo for the first of his four Vuelta titles. Roglic is back in 2026, two years after his most recent triumph, looking to reclaim past glory, but it’s gonna be a seriously tall order.
Seriously, for Roglic and other GC hopefuls like Wout van Aert and Richard Carapaz, Pogacar simply looks like he’s playing a different game. This route is absolutely brutal, packed with climbs and about 58,000 meters in total elevation gain. But that’s the kicker right there, isn’t it? That kind of terrain only seems to help Pogacar, who always finds a way to attack and make his rivals crack when the road goes up.
The Grueling Route and How to Catch Every Stage
Get ready for 21 stages packed into just 23 days of pure grit. This year’s Vuelta kicks off in Monaco, then winds through France and Andorra before hitting Spain for Stage 5. The organizers didn’t pull any punches either. We’re looking at two individual time trials, in Stage 1 and Stage 18, and only four flat stages the entire race, with two of those not even showing up until the final week. This is a climber’s paradise, which, again, just screams Pogacar’s name.
If you’re like me and can’t miss a single pedal stroke, here’s the deal: Every stage of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana is live on Peacock. You get Bob Roll and Christian Vande Velde on the call, which is always a treat. For weekday stages, you can also catch the action on NBCSN, available through YouTube TV and other providers. Broadcast coverage begins at various times, kicking off as early as 6:00 a.m. ET on some mountain stages, so set those alarms!
So, after all that, who actually emerges on top after three weeks battling it out on the road? Stage 1, an individual time trial from Monaco to Monaco, started today, August 22, at 10 a.m. ET. We’re in for one heck of a ride, watching if anyone, anyone, can find a way to beat Pogacar on this epic course.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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