Not losing friends, the true reason for Pogacar not racing in La Vuelta

Pogacar has ruled out his participation in the Vuelta a España 2024, which will take place from August 17 to September 8, but now we know a little more about his true reasons.

It's not just the wear and tear of doing three grand tours

The Slovenian cyclist ruled out the possibility of racing the Vuelta "99%" in 2024, although he did open the possibility of doing it in 2025 and thus improving the third position he achieved in the 2019 edition, where he made himself known to the world with three stage wins.

Now it has been Geraint Thomas who has spoken out in a podcast explaining the reasons that Pogacar himself gave him for rejecting participation in the Spanish tour.

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The British cyclist explained that Pogacar told him in a conversation during the Tour de France that his decision is based on a desire to maintain a good relationship with his teammates. "I told him, 'Friend, you have to go to the Vuelta, let's go'. He replied, 'Yes, but I need to keep some friends on the team'", explains the INEOS British rider.

For Thomas, UAE is a team with great cyclists who want their chance, and I suppose they have been told that the Vuelta is that opportunity at the beginning of the year. If he turns around now and says, "I'm going", there will be many unhappy teammates he will want to keep by his side.

According to the information that has emerged, the Emirates team will participate in the 2024 Vuelta with a great team, as they did in the Tour de France. It is expected that João Almeida and Adam Yates, 4th and 6th respectively in the Grande Boucle, will lead the team. In addition, the promising Isaac del Toro is expected to participate, with the uncertainty of whether the team will finally allow Juan Ayuso to participate.

The INEOS rider also questioned doing three grand tours like last year's Vuelta winner, American Sepp Kuss. For the winner of the 2018 Tour de France,

"Look at Sepp Kuss. It affected him last year. He was sick and all that, right? But my friend, I think three Grand Tours, when you're competing at the highest level, take a lot out of you, even for Pog", Thomas stated.

Although it may not be advisable, he believes that Tadej Pogacar "could do it with one leg", but "for the longevity of his career and simply a more successful career overall, it wouldn't make sense to go."

Pogacar's goal now is the rainbow jersey

However, Pogacar not participating in the Vuelta does not mean that the season is over for him. The ambitious Slovenian cyclist would have in mind to seek victory in the next World Championship, which will take place on September 29 in Zurich, with a tough circuit of 273.9 kilometers and an accumulated elevation gain of 4,470 meters.

This was affirmed by the recent champion of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France at the end of the French tour. "I see Mathieu van der Poel very handsome with the rainbow jersey and I want it for myself," Pogacar said in statements to the press.

Despite the great form shown by the UAE cyclist in 2024, with victories in Volta Catalunya or Liege-Bastogne-Liege, in addition to the successes in the Giro and Tour, it will not be easy for him to win the rainbow jersey. It is expected that cyclists of the caliber of Remco Evenepoel, double Olympic champion in Paris, Wout van Aert, or Mathieu van der Poel, the reigning champion, will also fight for the coveted rainbow jersey.