Three targets for 2027

Tadej Pogačar, leader of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, outlined his targets for next season to Slovenian media at a charity event in Volčji Potok on Sunday, 18 October. His first goal is a sixth Tour de France win, which would take him past the five victories he shares with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. The second is the world road title, which he won in 2024 and 2025 and could not defend in Montreal this autumn, when his teammate Brandon McNulty took it. The third is the Vuelta a España, the only grand tour he has not yet won, and he said he would have to tick it off at some point. He added that he would prefer to ride the Giro d'Italia, but the Vuelta is his goal for the coming year.

How the 2026 season ended

Pogačar crashed on 29 August during stage 8 of the Vuelta, about 30 kilometres from the finish near Xeraco in the La Safor area, while wearing the race leader's red jersey. Sources give different injury lists: La Razón reports a fractured collarbone and a couple of cervical vertebrae, while ABC also lists a dislocated left collarbone and a concussion. La Vanguardia says the left collarbone was operated on in Barcelona days after the fall. He attributed the fall to a large stone and called other explanations fake news. The crash ended his season, keeping him out of the world championships, the European championships in Slovenia and Il Lombardia. He said he had gone five weeks without riding, then trained on a static bike, and was tempted to race the Europeans but feared another fall.

Calendar still open

Pogačar has not yet fixed his 2027 programme, and El Periódico reports he is due at a UAE team gathering in Abu Dhabi next week to finalise the calendar with the sporting management. The Tour's full route is presented on Thursday, 22 October, in Paris, with the Grand Départ in Edinburgh on 2 July 2027 and the finish on 25 July. The world championships are due in Sallanches, France, before the Vuelta. La Razón gives 23 August for the event, while ABC places it at the end of August, so the exact date remains unclear.

The sources also disagree on when the Vuelta starts. La Razón puts the start on 29 August from Santiago de Compostela, while La Vanguardia and ABC give 4 September. None of the outlets reports a confirmed debut race for 2027.

Charity race and next steps

Pogačar is scheduled to appear on 29 November at the BeKing charity event in Monaco, its sixth edition, alongside his partner and fellow Slovenian cyclist Urska Zigart. Organisers describe it as a non-competitive exhibition that mixes racing with activities for children, and this year it adds a children's ambassador programme that brings young fans onto the stage. Riders race alongside the children, and the funds raised go to foundations and charities in Monaco and elsewhere. Pogačar also said he has been training regularly for a week, a month earlier than in previous years. The Tour route presentation on 22 October is the next fixed date in his cycle of announcements.