Tadej Pogacar to skip Spanish Vuelta, focus on one-day races

Tadej Pogacar, pictured above. (Christophe Ena/AP)

BRUSSELS (AP) — Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar won’t compete at the Spanish Vuelta next month and will instead be focusing on one-day races until the end of the season, his team said Tuesday.

Pogacar, who was runner-up to Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France last week, was expected to compete at the Spanish race starting Aug. 19.

He will travel to Spain next week to take part in a different race, the San Sebastian Classic in the Basque Country. The UAE-Emirates team said the 23-year-old rider from Slovenia will then take some time off and make his return to competition on Aug. 28 at the Grand Prix Plouay in France.

Pogacar will then feature at a couple of races in Canada and is expected to be on the starting line at the world championships on Sept. 25 before he defends his title at Il Lombardia on Oct. 8.

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