La Vuelta 2026 is looking for a rival for Pogačar: these are the main candidates

After the demonstration by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the Tour de France, everything points to the Slovenian not having too many difficulties in winning La Vuelta a España 2026 if he maintains a similar level. But this edition will be especially tough, with more than 3,200 kilometers, around 58,000 meters of total ascent, seven mountain stages, and two individual time trials. And, above all, it will be another three weeks of competition after the entire season that Pogačar already has in his legs.

Tadej Pogacar's Rivals in La Vuelta 2026

The accumulated fatigue seems to be his main enemy. If he arrives in Monaco close to the level shown in France, the fight for the red jersey will likely soon turn into a battle for second place. But a bad day, a fall, an illness, or simply fatigue can change a Grand Tour. If something goes wrong and things don't go as UAE has planned, there are several riders ready to take advantage of it.

Felix Gall arrives as the strongest alternative

Based on recent performance, Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) is possibly the rival that offers the most guarantees. The Austrian finished second in the Giro d'Italia, only behind Jonas Vingegaard, and confirmed there his status as one of the best climbers in the peloton.

Moreover, he arrives in top form after winning the Vuelta a Burgos, where he achieved the first professional general classification of his career after winning the third stage and holding off Oscar Onley in Lagunas de Neila.

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His main problem will be the 41.9 kilometers of individual time trial in this Vuelta. Gall will need to take advantage of the more mountainous stages to compensate for the time he may lose against more complete riders.

Oscar Onley arrives fresh and in full progression

Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos) could be one of the major threats. The Brit finished fourth in the 2025 Tour, but a severe fall and a shoulder injury prevented him from competing in the French race this year.

That disrupted his season, although it may now play to his advantage. While Pogačar and other rivals arrive with the Tour in their legs, Onley will face La Vuelta much fresher and after demonstrating in Burgos that he is recovered. He won the first stage there and finished second in the general classification, just five seconds behind Gall.

He has already shown that he can finish a Grand Tour among the best. Now he will have to see if he can also aim for the podium.

Primož Roglič, four Vueltas and many doubts

By palmarès, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) should be Pogačar's main rival. He has won La Vuelta four times, and a fifth victory would allow him to surpass the record he currently shares with Roberto Heras.

Moreover, he had built his season around this race and will arrive without having competed in the Tour. The problem is that his preparation suffered a serious setback when he was hit by a car while training at the end of July. He had to withdraw from the Clásica de San Sebastián and the Vuelta a Burgos, and for weeks his participation was in doubt.

He will finally be in Monaco, but his real condition is a mystery. If he recovers a version close to his best years, he remains one of the most complete riders for this route. Currently, however, his candidacy relies more on his extraordinary relationship with La Vuelta than on recent references.

Skjelmose and Carapaz also aim for the podium

Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) arrives after finishing sixth in the Tour de France and has a significant advantage over several climbers: his performance against the clock. He was third in the time trial of the last week of the Tour, only behind Evenepoel and Pogačar. He already finished fifth in La Vuelta 2024, and his main unknown will be to see how he has recovered from the effort of July.

Also coming from the Tour is Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost). The Ecuadorian won two mountain stages and again demonstrated that few riders perform better when a race breaks apart. He was already second in La Vuelta 2020 and fourth in 2024, so he returns with enough arguments to think about the general classification.

Enric Mas always appears in La Vuelta

Enric Mas (Movistar Team) has finished second three times in La Vuelta, in addition to being third in 2024, fifth in 2020, and sixth in 2023. His season has not been particularly brilliant, but the recent fifth place in the Vuelta a Burgos suggests that he arrives in progression.

Movistar will also have Cian Uijtdebroeks, who abandoned the Tour due to illness and will seek a second opportunity. The Belgian was already eighth in La Vuelta 2023.

João Almeida, UAE's plan B

One of the riders with the best recent background will be precisely at the service of Pogačar. João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finished second in La Vuelta 2025, 1:16 behind Vingegaard, and even managed to defeat the Dane on the Angliru.

His season has been affected by an illness and later by a fall in the Tour of Poland. Moreover, UAE will arrive completely focused on Pogačar. Even so, keeping Almeida well positioned can become an important tactical tool, and if something happens to the Slovenian, few teams have a second leader of such level.

Riccitello, Carlos Rodríguez, and others who could surprise

Behind, there are more candidates for the Top 10. Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) was fifth and the best young rider in La Vuelta 2025, although this time he will have Gall as leader. Carlos Rodríguez (Netcompany-Ineos) will arrive fresh after not competing in the Tour and will share responsibilities with Onley. The Spaniard has finished in the Top 10 in all four Grand Tours he has completed.

We should also keep an eye on Jarno Widar (Lotto-Intermarché) and Jørgen Nordhagen (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), two of the youngest riders.

The start in Monaco will place Pogačar as the absolute reference and all others in the role of challengers. Gall and Onley arrive with the best feelings, Roglič has the experience of four victories, and riders like Skjelmose, Carapaz, or Mas know what it means to fight for a general classification for three weeks. On paper, none seem capable of matching the Slovenian, but La Vuelta 2026 has enough toughness to punish any weakness. If Pogačar falters, there will be no shortage of candidates to take advantage of it.