Pogacar, facing the challenge of wearing red to Granada

Tadej Pogacar is rewriting cycling history, with many already considering him the greatest rider of all time. After his latest dominant display in Andorra, where he attacked with 50 kilometers remaining and built a lead of over three minutes in the general classification, the question is whether he can maintain the leader's red jersey all the way to Granada in the Vuelta a España.

His record already boasts 129 victories, including five Tour de France titles, one Giro d'Italia, five Il Lombardia races, four Liège–Bastogne–Liège, three Tour of Flanders, and two World Championships. The only major accolades missing from his collection are an Olympic gold medal and the Paris-Roubaix classic.

Leading the Vuelta from start to finish is a rare and historic achievement. Since the post-war era, only four cyclists have managed this feat in a Grand Tour. Tony Rominger was the last to accomplish this in the 1994 Vuelta a España. Other riders who have achieved this include Eddy Merckx in the 1973 Giro d'Italia, Freddy Maertens in the 1977 Vuelta a España, and Gianni Bugno in the 1990 Giro d'Italia. In the Tour de France, no rider has led from start to finish since Romain Maes in 1935.

Pogacar himself acknowledged the strong position but remained cautious. "You never know, but it's a good margin," he stated after the fourth stage. However, he added, "in a grand tour, you can't be complacent even with a 20-minute lead."

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Never se sabe, pero es un buen margen. En una gran vuelta no te puedes confiar aunque tengas una ventaja de 20 minutos.