Roglič Confirms No Tour de France in 2026 — Goes All-In for Record Fifth Vuelta a España Title
Primož Roglič has confirmed that the Tour de France will not feature on his 2026 race programme, with the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe veteran instead channelling every ounce of his remaining Grand Tour pedigree into the Vuelta a España this August. The 36-year-old Slovenian is chasing a record-breaking fifth Vuelta title — a feat that would place him alone atop the race's all-time winners list, ahead of Roberto Heras.
The decision, revealed in an interview ahead of the Itzulia Basque Country where Roglič opened his spring stage-race campaign on Monday, is a pragmatic acknowledgement of where his strengths lie at this stage of his career. "I'm not thinking about retirement yet," Roglič said. "But I know my body. I know what it can do and what it needs. The Tour is not on the programme. The Vuelta is my race, and this year it means more than ever."
Roglič's relationship with the Tour de France has always been complicated. His devastating collapse on the penultimate stage time trial in 2020, when he lost the yellow jersey to Tadej Pogačar, remains one of the most painful moments in modern Grand Tour history. Subsequent attempts have been undermined by crashes and illness, and the Slovenian's three Vuelta titles — won in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023 — stand as the clearest testament to his Grand Tour calibre. A fifth victory, on a course that promises to reward his time-trialling and aggressive climbing, would cement his status as the greatest Vuelta rider of the modern era.
The race programme Roglič has laid out for the spring and summer reflects the Vuelta-first approach. After the Itzulia, where he finished a strong second in the opening time trial behind the revelatory Paul Seixas, he will ride the Tour de Romandie in late April before stepping away from competition for a long altitude block. He is expected to return at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June as a final tune-up, with the Vuelta start on August 22 in Jerez de la Frontera his primary target.
For Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, the decision simplifies their Grand Tour strategy. Remco Evenepoel will lead the team at the Tour de France in July, with Florian Lipowitz riding as his key mountain lieutenant. Roglič's absence from the Tour frees the team from the politically sensitive question of hierarchy between its two biggest stars, allowing each to pursue his primary objective without compromise.
"We have two of the best Grand Tour riders in the world, and we are giving each of them the best possible support at their target race," Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe sport director Rolf Aldag said. "Primož at the Vuelta, Remco at the Tour. There is no conflict. There is only ambition."
Roglič's Vuelta campaign will face formidable opposition. João Almeida, who is targeting a Giro-Vuelta double, will be among the favourites if he arrives in Spain fresh enough from the Giro d'Italia. Mikel Landa and Enric Mas will carry Spanish hopes on home roads, and a new generation of climbers — including Juan Ayuso and Isaac del Toro — may choose the Vuelta as their late-season Grand Tour target.
But Roglič has history on his side, and an obsessive focus on the one race that has defined his legacy more than any other. At 36, the clock is ticking — but the Slovenian has never been more certain of his target. "Five Vueltas," he said. "That is the dream. And I will give everything to make it real."