'He's in Tour de France mode' - Tadej Pogačar at altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada

Tadej Pogačar is currently undergoing an altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada, a familiar pre-Tour de France routine for the Slovenian star. Notably, his schedule does not include a reconnaissance ride of the proposed final mountain stage of the 2026 Vuelta a España, which is slated to finish on the Pico del Veleta. This omission confirms his singular focus on the upcoming Tour, despite the long-range implications of such a significant Vuelta route.

This strategic decision by Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates underscores the absolute primacy of the Tour de France in his season planning, especially after his dominant Giro d'Italia victory. While a future Vuelta tilt, particularly one featuring a summit finish on Veleta, would be a monumental challenge and a potential Grand Tour treble opportunity, Pogačar's history dictates a meticulous, unyielding preparation for July. His "Tour de France mode" is less a mindset and more a highly refined, singular operational directive.

Pogačar's non-recon of the 2026 Vuelta stage isn't a slight; it's simply a testament to the fact that, for now, only one race truly exists on his calendar. The rest is just noise.