Tadej Pogacar wants Giro and Vuelta to swap dates on calendar

Tadej Pogačar believes the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España would attract better fields and endure more suitable weather conditions if they swapped places on the calendar.

30 years have passed since the Vuelta moved from its old spring date to its current slot on the calendar. The UCI had originally offered the Giro the chance to shift to September, but the corsa rosa preferred to retain its traditional dates.

“I always say that if they swapped the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta, it would be much better in terms of weather conditions and the number of cyclists who could participate,” Pogačar said, according to AS.

Pogačar has raced the Tour de France in each of the past six seasons, winning the race four times, but he hasn’t lined up at the Vuelta since he placed third overall on his Grand Tour debut in 2019. His lone Giro appearance was his overall victory in 2024, when he went on to become the first man since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro-Tour double.

The Giro has regularly had stages at high altitude altered or curtailed due to heavy snow over the years, while the Vuelta's current August start routinely subjects the peloton to sweltering conditions, particularly in the southern half of the country.

The Slovenian was speaking in Gran Canaria, where he will participate in the Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves at the weekend. The Canary Islands were due to host the final four stages of the 2026 Vuelta a España, with the grand finale atop Mount Teide in Tenerife, but the plan was shelved after Gran Canaria withdrew, citing reservations at the presence of Israel-Premier Tech (now known as NSN Cycling Team) due to Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

“I think racing bikes is not the number one priority, so obviously, you understand everybody in the situation,” Pogačar said. “If the Vuelta cannot come to Gran Canaria, it’s a shame, but it would be really nice to finish the race here. But if it’s not possible, it’s not possible.”

Pogačar has yet to unveil his race programme for 2026, with the announcement expected to come at the UAE Team Emirates-XRG media day in Benidorm on December 13. It seems likely that the Slovenian will again focus on the Classics ahead of the Tour de France, while chasing a third straight World Championships victory in Montreal is set to be his main goal in the final part of the season.

“I have the Tour on the horizon, but there’s still a long way to go,” said Pogačar, who has been using the time on Gran Canaria to begin training for the 2026 campaign in earnest before he links up with his UAE team on the Costa Blanca next month. “It’s my first time here, but it's a good way to properly restart my training.”