Vuelta 2026: GC Favourites

fotobureau Cor VosThe Vuelta a España promises to be yet another Tadej Pogacar show. He was untouchable in the Tour de France, and it seems only logical that things will be no different in Spain. Cyclingstage.com takes a closer look at the contenders for the Vuelta’s final podium. (Slideshow route/profile)

First published on 16 August 2026

Pogacar won the Tour de France in 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025 and 2026, as well as the Giro d’Italia in 2024. The Vuelta is the only Grand Tour missing from his palmarès, and that gap is likely to be filled on 22 September.

The Slovenian has ridden the Vuelta just once before, in 2019, his debut season as a professional. He finished third behind Roglic and Valverde, but went home with three (mountain) stage wins.

Primoz Roglic vuelta - Vuelta 2026 His compatriot Roglic is the record holder with four overall Vuelta victories. He would have loved to make it five, which would have given him the record outright rather than leaving him level with Roberto Heras. With his compatriot on the start line, however, he now faces the best cyclist in the world. Quite apart from Pogacar’s presence, though, a fifth Vuelta title was never likely to come easily. Roglic is 36 and appears to be past his best. His most recent victory came a year and a half ago at the Volta a Catalunya, where he won the overall classification and two stages.

Gall is certainly a podium contender as well. Last May, he finished as the best of the rest in the Giro. Vingegaard did what he always does when Pogacar is absent — win easily — and the Austrian was the only rider capable of offering any resistance, although he was never seriously in contention for the overall victory.

Mas is a typical Vueltaman. Outside Spain, his performances tend to be rather underwhelming, but he comes alive in his home Grand Tour: third in 2024, sixth in 2023, second in 2022, 2021 and on his Vuelta debut in 2018, and fifth as well as winner of the young rider classification in 2020. What's remarkable, though, is that he rarely he wins stages. His only Vuelta stage victory came on his debut in 2018.

Another rider to keep an eye on is Carapaz. Sure, he knows that Pogacar is the best cyclist in the world right now, but the Ecuadorian is one of the few who refuses to simply accept the Slovenian’s dominance. Tirelessly attacking, often from a position where he has already been dropped from GC contention, he may be the only rider capable of threatening Pogacar’s seemingly inevitable Vuelta triumph. Richard Carapaz

Alongside Pogacar and Roglic, Carapaz also boasts the most impressive palmarès in the Vuelta peloton. He won the Giro in 2019 and has also taken multiple stage victories in all three Grand Tours. On top of that, he is the Olympic champion from Tokyo and has won the King of the Mountains jersey twice at the Tour de France (2024 and this year) and once at the Vuelta (2022).

In conclusion: who is the Vuelta favourite?

Well, we already reached that conclusion above. It is clear that Pogacar stands head and shoulders above his rivals. Wherever he has started this year, the Slovenian has won. That is, apart from that one Classic he so desperately wants to win. This year Van Aert got the better of him, just as Van der Poel had done last year. Will Pogacar ever win Paris-Roubaix?

But we are getting sidetracked. The Vuelta — yes, he will surely win it this year. Behind him, there should be an interesting battle for the remaining podium places, much as there was at the Tour.

Carapaz has a strong case, although he may decide to target stage wins and treat the overall classification as something of a secondary objective. Skjelmose is another strong candidate, although it remains to be seen how fresh he will be after the Tour.

Mas and Gall have both prepared 100% for the Vuelta, while the same is true of Onley after missed the Tour through injury. And then there is Roglic... What does he still have left? We would have liked to put him forward as a challenger to Pogacar, but that may be asking too much. It would already be a fine achievement if he can fight for a podium place and perhaps pick up a stage win along the way.

Vuelta a España 2026 favourites

***** Tadej Pogacar
**** Felix Gall, Richard Carapaz, Enric Mas
*** Oscar Onley, Primož Roglic, Mattias Skjelmose
** João Almeida, Carlos Rodríguez, Jørgen Nordhagen
* Santiago Buitrago, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Mikel Landa, Max Poole

Key stages

Click the italicised links for the stage descriptions

Stage 4: through Andorra – 104.8 kilometres with 2,953 metres of elevation gain, downhill finish
Stage 9: to Alto de Aitana – 187.4 kilometres with 5,166 metres of elevation gain, 22-kilometre final climb at 5.8%
Stage 12: to Calar Alto – 166.6 kilometres with 4,568 metres of elevation gain, irregular 16.9-kilometre final climb at 5.6%
Stage 14: to Sierra de La Pandera – 154.5 kilometres with 4,338 metres of elevation gain, irregular 11.9-kilometre final climb at 7.2%
Stage 18: time trial to Jerez de la Frontera – 32.1 kilometres and flat
Stage 19: to Peñas Blancas – 210.8 kilometres with 4,052 metres of elevation gain, 18.8-kilometre final climb at 6.5%
Stage 20: through the Sierra Nevada to Collado del Alguacil – 186.8 kilometres with 4,890 metres of elevation gain, 8-kilometre final climb at 8.9%