Eurosport/Discovery will broadcast exclusively in Italy the Vuelta a España, also through HBO Max, and one of its most well-known and beloved faces is Alberto Contador. The Spanish cycling legend, one of the 8 members of the "triple crown club" to which Tadej Pogacar could add himself in the coming three weeks, answered pre-race questions from the international press, including ours.

Below are Contador's statements divided by topic:

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RACE

"Let's start with the similarities to the other Grand Tours: here too you have to prepare for three grueling weeks and have great consistency and recovery, going through routes and stages of all types. For the rest, despite the heat potentially being a factor for athletes, I believe it's the grand tour that's a bit easier to manage: the Giro d'Italia is more difficult because of weather unpredictability, the Tour de France because of general tension and sponsor and public pressure. And then the Vuelta is the one with the most uphill finishes: I remember when I was racing and found myself with ten, eleven or twelve stages where I knew I'd have to give everything. It's not necessarily the one with the highest overall elevation gain, but it's definitely the one with the most climbs and steep sections. A format that I like!"

IMPACT ON THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

"I believe the Vuelta is perfectly compatible with the World Championships and that Tadej Pogacar is more than suited to aim for winning both."

POGACAR'S PRESENCE

"If we're talking about unpredictability for the GC and possibilities for various riders to win the race, it's clear that with him present there's an undisputed favorite who will leave little room for opponents and who can only lose it himself. But if we're talking about pure cycling spectacle, I believe his participation is 100% positive for the Vuelta and for the fans. It's about seeing the best rider in history race live!"

THE COMPARISON WITH EDDY MERCKX

"Tadej's value is not measured solely based on the number of victories or whether or not he achieves the triple crown with this Vuelta. Despite being behind Merckx in terms of Monument wins, Grand Tour victories and totals, the aspect I consider most is the way Tadej wins: if you can express this crushing superiority in cycling that is so highly professionalized as today's, for me you are the greatest of all time. Think about it: he has defined an era and set a 'turning point' for which this sport is different before and after him. We're facing a generational athlete like Usain Bolt was in his field: prodigies of nature who seem to have a magic wand but obviously work on themselves enormously. Work that we perhaps don't see, but that shows its fruits over time."

JOAO ALMEIDA

"If he's in form, he can finish on the podium alongside Tadej like Del Toro did at the Tour. Everything revolves around that 'if': this has perhaps been his most challenging season, with the virus that kept him out of the Giro and forced him to chase fitness. Only he and UAE really know how he is and what he can give in this Vuelta. Of course, he like other strong riders within the team know that, to race with the Slovenian phenomenon, they have to sacrifice part of their personal ambitions, but I don't believe this diminishes either their ability to be leaders or to be able to do so in other prestigious stages that the calendar offers."

THE PODIUM CONTENDERS

"Apart from Almeida as a luxury domestique if he's well, the first name that comes to mind behind Pogacar is that of his compatriot Primoz Roglic. It's true he hasn't had a good season, but it's equally true that, as a champion and four-time Vuelta winner, he has prepared meticulously to be in brilliant form at the start. The other major accredited contender is Felix Gall, 2nd behind Vingegaard at the Giro: he's certainly a very credible candidate, but I wouldn't put him ahead of Roglic at the start. Interesting to see the home World Tour team, Movistar: they have a 'double threat' with Cian Uijtdebroeks, eager to bounce back after having to abandon the Tour during the sixth stage, and the experienced Enric Mas who always finds that extra something at the Vuelta. Also keep an eye on, as a possible surprise, Oscar Onley. Finally, allow me a mention for Richard Carapaz: we know that he and EF tend to have a more offensive than conservative approach, but if the fatigue of his Grand Tour doesn't take its toll in the third week I think he can put in a decent classification..."

QUINTANA ABSENT

"The fact that Movistar didn't bring him, thus 'denying' him a final Vuelta, is a choice that can be displeasing from the outside, but it must be respected. We don't know what level Nairo is at today, also in relation to the teammates who were called up."

INEOS NETCOMPANY

"They have a strong team that is investing a lot to return to the glory of a few years ago, so I think they made meticulous calculations to know how to be competitive every day."

LORENZO FORTUNATO

"After winning the blue jersey for climbers at the 2025 Giro, he can certainly aim for the polka dot at this Vuelta. Both for his qualities and because (as mentioned at the beginning) the Vuelta is the Grand Tour least complicated to control. It will obviously depend on who his challengers will be in the KOM standings, but in itself he continues to improve and it's an achievable objective."

THE BATTLE FOR STAGE WINS

"Another reason why this won't be a boring Vuelta will be the battle between major contenders for individual victories: above all Wout Van Aert and the green jersey from the Tour Mads Pedersen, capable of reaching very high levels of spectacle. Furthermore, let's remember that the Vuelta presents a few more opportunities for breakaways to reach the finish compared to the Tour."

THE DIFFICULTIES OF PROFESSIONAL TEAMS

"These are economic difficulties that actually also affect the World Tour and are rooted in the business model of this sport. Cycling offers sponsors very important returns, but it's also true that team budgets rest almost entirely on their shoulders. If there were other revenues besides sponsors, it would be a breath of fresh air that would greatly facilitate things. I realize, however, that these are long processes and can take decades: in the meantime, returning to ProTeams, one solution could be an increase in invitations reserved for them in major races. This would convince companies more to invest in them."