10 riders I’m following at the Vuelta a España 🇪🇸

Hey Subscribers,

The Vuelta a España has a habit of throwing up unexpected stories. Sometimes it’s a breakout performance from a future star, sometimes it’s a veteran finding one last great ride, and sometimes it’s a rider simply trying to salvage something from a season that has gone badly off course.

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This year’s race has a little bit of everything. Tadej Pogačar might dominate most of the headlines and results, but there are plenty of other narratives worth following over the next three weeks. From riders fighting for contracts and reputations to young talents looking to make the next step in their careers, these are the 10 riders I’ll be keeping the closest eye on throughout the race.

Daniel 🫶

This is probably the most intriguing and perplexing storyline heading into the Vuelta a España, aside from identifying the two lucky souls who will eventually join Tadej Pogačar on the final podium in Granada.

Wind back to the Red Bull training camp and presentation last December, and it was clear something was up. Roglič was handed what many might call a light race programme, with no Giro, no Tour, a sprinkling of short stage races, and potentially a shot at the Vuelta. There would be no shared experiences with new signing Remco Evenepoel, who was following a completely different race plan, and it felt as though the Slovenian was being managed out the door. In a respectful way, of course. The way the team and Roglič carried out their public duties that day strongly suggested - to me at least - that this would be their last dance together, possibly even a retirement tour.

Come the Tour de France, Ralph Denk confirmed to the Substack that Roglič would be leaving the team, and during the last few weeks he’s been linked to half the WorldTour. Lotto Intermarché are now apparently in the mix, and that says a lot. It tells us that the likes of NSN, Bahrain, Pinarello, and Movistar - all linked to the veteran earlier in the year - either don’t want to or cannot afford his asking price, and now, heading into the Vuelta, Roglič is banged up from a recent training accident and unsure of his chances of mustering a GC challenge.

Make no mistake, the results this year have been poor. Off the pace, behind the competition, it’s hard to see what value a 37-year-old (next season) will bring to a 2027 roster. So if Roglič does want to entertain the idea of racing for another 12 months and wants to sign with a team with a bit more GC pedigree and isn’t simply desperate - sorry, Lotto - then he needs to point to his recent resume and demonstrate that he still has the levels required.

If he simply maintains his trajectory from the rest of the season, then Lotto and a significant pay cut will be the best he can hope for, but if he can discover something a bit more inspiring out on the road, then perhaps a few more teams will show some interest, and turn what I still think could be a farewell Grand Tour before a real goodbye at the Euros in Slovenia, into something more meaningful and a pathway to prolong his career for another one or two years.

Ultimately it comes down to what Roglič wants, and the manner in which he races the Vuelta will be the litmus test for what’s to come next.