Pogacar to skip Vuelta a Espana after 'demanding' Tour de France
The 26-year-old UAE Team Emirates XRG rider sealed his Tour de France title on Sunday after three weeks of dominance, but said fatigue had crept in during the final days. His previous Tour de France titles came in 2020, 2021 and 2024.
Pogacar will return to action at the one-day races in Quebec and Montreal in September before shifting focus to the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, where he is the defending champion.
"After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break," Pogacar said in a statement late on Tuesday.
"The Vuelta is of course a race I would dearly love to return to. I have fantastic memories there from 2019, but now the body is telling me to rest.
"I'm excited to go back to Canada; the races are tough but beautiful, and they fit my style well. I'll be aiming to be back racing well again for that part of the season and for the World Championships especially."
Pogacar is yet to win the Vuelta a Espana, having captured three stage wins and securing the young rider classification in his only appearance in 2019.
The Vuelta runs from August 23 to September 14.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Man Utd launch all-out transfer offer for Benjamin Sesko in bid to beat Newcastle as star's preferred club is revealed
ALL SYSTEMS KO Man Utd launch all-out transfer offer for Benjamin Sesko in bid to beat Newcastle as star's preferred club is revealed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MANCHESTER UNITED have launched an all-out bid to land Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. Slovenian ace Sesko and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins formed the two man shortlist as United sought to give Ruben Amorim the firepower he craves. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Man Utd have launched an all-out bid to land Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko Credit: Rex But with Villa insistent that no deal for their England front man will be considered, United switched their sights and are now aiming to blow Newcastle out of the water to land the £70m-plus Sesko. United director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and negotiator Matt Hargreaves flew out to Germany in a bid to get the deal over the line, although the Old Trafford club will try to negotiate Leipzig's asking price down. Vivell was previously with the Red Bull group that owns Leipzig and Sesko's previous club Salzburg for seven years and knows the 6ft 5in striker, 22, well. In a recent interview in Germany, Vivell said: 'Benjamin Sesko is among the game's top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player. He has all the qualities to do that. 'He's extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air. Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile.' Sun Sport understands that Sesko, who was also on Arsenal's shortlist over the summer, would prefer to move to Old Trafford rather than Tyneside. That is despite the fact that Newcastle offer the prospect of Champions League football, while United have no European football at all this season. Toon boss Eddie Howe is also thought to be growing apprehensive about his prospects of landing Sesko, who has scored 39 goals over his two seasons in the Bundesliga, now that United are making their move. Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford But Leipzig are unlikely to roll over and hand Sesko to United on a plate. They are sticking to their £70m valuation and dismissed all attempts by Arsenal to bargain them down, leading to the Gunners eventually landing Viktor Gyokeres instead.
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
William Haggas has smuggled a Group horse into a handicap and I suspect he will take all the beating at Goodwood
Ryan Moore can land the big one for Aidan O'Brien MATT CHAPMAN William Haggas has smuggled a Group horse into a handicap and I suspect he will take all the beating at Goodwood Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TACTICS can be everything in sport. But when you rely on tactics they can, of course, always go wrong. That was very much the case for Ballydoyle in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last weekend. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien made a rare mistake and got it wrong in the King George - but they can rebound in style in the Nassau with Whirl Credit: Sportsfile Jan Brueghel and Continuous had a nightmare. But on Thursday at Glorious Goodwood surely it's simple what Ryan Moore should do in the feature Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes, live on ITV. Runner-up in the Oaks, and a horse that might have won that race on another day, WHIRL then made all to defeat King George runner-up Kalpana in the Group 1 Pretty Polly at the Curragh. This afternoon on paper the only pace pressure is Running Lion, and even if she decides to go on Whirl can sit second and is a much better horse getting 9lb! It all looks simple to me, even though the opposition includes the useful See the Fire (third in the Prince of Wales's to Ombudsman) and Coronation Stakes-winning roughie Cercene. Hopefully Whirl makes all the running, or nearly all! Day three of Glorious Goodwood on telly starts with a handicap for three-year-olds over 1m2f. William Haggas looks to have a live one here in HIGH DEGREE and I suspect he will take all the beating. Of course the big negative is the draw - there is not a single rider who would want stall 18. But Tom Marquand is class and I just hope he conjures up a passage for the son of Too Darn Hot who lost his maiden tag at Ffos Las last time in a tight finish. I suspect this could be a Group horse in a handicap. Up in class for the Group 2 Richmond Stakes over 6f next. AZIZAM was drawn miles away from winner and reposing Havana Hurricane in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and he looked like the animal gagging for this extra furlong when finishing strongly in third. My hope has been off the track since then and lacks a bit of match practise but the odds are decent and he really should have strong eachway claims for Karl Burke and Sam James. The Group 3 Gordon Stakes is for three-year-olds over 1m4f. MERCHANT will be a banker for many after his Royal Ascot romp in the King George V Stakes. Haggas will be thinking he's got a right St Leger hope on his hands and I so no reason why he can't be another for Marquand. Remember he was drawn in stall 20 at Ascot and still won. The trainer won this with Desert Hero before he finished third in the Leger. Finally, a handicap for more three-year-olds over 5f. RUBY'S PROFIT has been dropped 1lb for a couple of defeats even though she ran crackers at both Epsom and Royal Ascot. Prior to those two efforts the Jamie Insole runner had scored well at this course and the draw is great in stall eight. Hopefully out, away and gone and very hard to kick out the frame at the very least. Come on Kieran Shoemark. Good luck! FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd make final Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins decision as transfer 'accelerates'
Benjamin Sesko has moved above Ollie Watkins in Manchester United's pecking order as they look to add the RB Leipzig striker to their squad ahead of the new season Benjamin Sesko has moved to the top of Manchester United's wish-list as they look to add the striker to their ranks. The Red Devils have already signed Matheus Cunha from Wolves and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, but Ruben Amorim is open to adding more firepower to his side following the club's dire 2024/25 campaign. The highly rated Sesko looks set to move on after Leipzig missed out on Champions League football. United will be absent from European football completely this season, but that is not thought to have put the Slovenian off. Sesko is reportedly favouring a move to Old Trafford over Newcastle, who are also in the market for a top forward, with Liverpool-linked Alexander Isak angling for a move away from Tyneside. According to The Athletic, Sesko is Man United's priority if they go for another striker this summer and they are said to have made 'informal' contact with Leipzig. The Red Devils are also admirers of Ollie Watkins, although Aston Villa have insisted the 29-year-old is not for sale. A move for Sesko looks more realistic, with United also favouring a player of potential over a proven quality like Watkins. United have been linked with Sesko in the past, but they balked at paying his previous club, RB Salzburg, around £2m in 2019. He will now cost many times more after emerging as one of the most promising strikers in Europe, scoring 39 goals in 87 appearances for Leipzig since his arrival in 2023. His current contract runs until 2029, having only signed a new deal last year. It reportedly came with an understanding that he would be allowed to depart if another club offered in the region of £69m to £78m. Untied's signings will need to be offset by some outgoings, with a number of players declaring their desire to leave the club. Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia were left out of the tour of the United States, with the so-called 'bomb squad' training at the club's Carrington complex. Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan. United's transfer dealings have been widely criticised in recent seasons but Amorim has said chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Jason Wilcox would not be taken advantage of just to get rid of those surplus to requirements.
