BARCELONA, Spain (AP) 鈥� will start his quest for a record-equaling when the race kicks off in neighboring Spain on Saturday.
The elite Grand Tour begins with a team time trial in Barcelona, an opening stage which will take riders past the city鈥檚 famous and finish with a short climb up a hill overlooking the popular tourist destination.
Poga膷ar is the overall favorite thanks to his Tour victories in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025, as well as his strong form this year.
The Slovenian sensation is aiming to join the select crowd of Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only riders to have won cycling’s most prestigious race on five occasions.
Jonas Vingegaard is once again his biggest challenger. The Dane took home the yellow jersey and is aiming to complete the .
Poga膷ar鈥檚 UAE Team Emirates-XRG will start Saturday’s 19.6-kilometer (12.1-mile) team time trial last, just ahead of Vingegaard鈥檚 Visma-Lease a Bike.
The three-week race will cross into the French Pyrenees on Stage 3. Stages 19 and 20 culminate at the famed Alpe d鈥橦uez climb in the Alps, which comes just 24 hours before the 21st and final stage ending on the Champs-脡lys茅es in Paris.
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AP cycling:
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