Pogacar ignites the 2026 Vuelta with a blistering Monaco time trial victory

Tadej Pogacar opened his Vuelta a España campaign with the kind of authority that makes the rest of the peloton exhale sharply. On a short, technical 9.4-kilometre course twisting through the streets of his adopted home city of Monaco, the UAE Team Emirates superstar delivered a performance of precision and power, stopping the clock at 10:57 and pulling on the first red jersey of the race.

The Slovenian arrived at this Vuelta chasing history — the final jewel in a Grand Tour treble and the chance to join cycling’s most mythical company. If there were any doubts about his form after a season already gilded by a fifth Tour de France title, he erased them in less than eleven minutes.

Briton Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) came agonisingly close, finishing just fractions of a second behind Pogacar after a beautifully controlled ride.

Behind them, Joshua Tarling (INEOS) delivered a courageous and emotionally charged performance to take third, only four seconds down, just a week after the tragic loss of his younger brother Finlay during the Tour of Portugal. His podium ride carried a weight far beyond the stopwatch.

The Monaco opener was designed to reward riders who thrive on rhythm changes, tight corners, and explosive accelerations. Pogacar treated it like a personal playground. Every apex was clean, every acceleration violent, every metre a reminder of why he is the overwhelming favourite to finish in red in Granada on 13 September.

Should he do so, he would become only the fourth rider in history to win the Tour and Vuelta in the same season — and one of only eight riders ever to complete the full Grand Tour set.

Primož Roglic, chasing a record-equalling fifth Vuelta crown, could only manage 24th — a subdued start for the Slovenian veteran who has defined this race for half a decade.

Behind the podium, the top ten was stacked with heavy hitters: Callum Thornley, Christophe Laporte, Léo Bisiaux, Oscar Chamberlain, Wout van Aert, Finn Fisher-Black and Arthur Kluckers all within eleven seconds of the winner.

The Vuelta continues Sunday with a mammoth 214.3 km journey from Monaco to Manosque — a stage long enough to reshape early ambitions and expose early weaknesses.

VIDEO: 2026 La Vuelta Stage 1 Highlights