UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Tadej Pogačar made a winning return to the Vuelta a España on Saturday, taking victory in the opening individual time trial in Monaco and claiming the race leader’s red jersey.
Pogačar edges Hayter in Monaco
Pogačar clocked 10 minutes and 57 seconds over the short and technical 9.4-kilometre course, finishing just 0.09 seconds ahead of Britain’s Ethan Hayter in an extremely close battle for the stage win.
The opening route immediately tested the riders, with 13 corners, hairpins, roundabouts, tunnels and short climbs packed into the course. Parts of the route also used roads associated with Monaco’s famous Formula One circuit, making control and precision important throughout the stage.
A finish decided by fractions
Pogačar had been behind Hayter at the intermediate split but produced a strong final section to turn the stage around. He eventually crossed the line just nine hundredths of a second ahead of his British rival.
Hayter finished second, while Britain’s Joshua Tarling secured third place, four seconds behind Pogačar. The result gave the Slovenian an early lead in the general classification as the three-week Grand Tour got underway.
Familiar roads help Pogačar
The victory had added significance because Monaco is Pogačar’s home. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider lives in the principality and was racing on roads he knows well.
That familiarity proved useful on a course where tight corners and technical sections left little room for mistakes. Pogačar combined speed and control to produce the narrow margin that ultimately decided the stage.
Seven-year Vuelta return
Pogačar’s victory marked his first appearance at the Vuelta since 2019, when he finished third overall and won three stages.
Since then, the Slovenian has built an impressive Grand Tour record. He has won the Tour de France five times and claimed the Giro d’Italia in 2024.
A Vuelta victory would complete his collection of cycling’s three Grand Tours and place him among the select riders to have won all three races.
UAE rider starts with early advantage
Pogačar arrives at this year’s Vuelta after another successful Tour de France campaign. His fifth Tour victory has further established him as one of the leading riders in professional cycling.
His victory in Monaco now gives the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider an early advantage over his overall rivals. However, holding the red jersey will become a much bigger challenge as the race moves into longer stages and more demanding terrain.
The Vuelta includes difficult climbs and mountain stages where the general classification can change quickly. Pogačar’s opening advantage is therefore an important start rather than a guarantee of overall success.
Stage 2 brings a different test
The second stage will provide a very different challenge, with riders travelling from Monaco to Manosque over 214.3 kilometres on Sunday.
Unlike the short opening time trial, the longer stage will focus much more on endurance. Other contenders will also have opportunities to gain time or bonus seconds as the race moves away from Monaco.
For now, Pogačar will start Stage 2 in red after delivering the ideal opening to his Vuelta campaign. His victory gives him an early advantage and puts the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider at the centre of the battle for the overall title.