Vincenzo Albanese, Markel Beloki, Alastair MacKellar, Darren Rafferty, James Shaw, and Georg Steinhauser will back him, alongside new recruit Juan Rodriguez, who has stepped up to our WorldTour team from EF Education-Aevolo.

After a superb Tour de France, with two stage wins, the Supercombativity prize, and victory in the King of the Mountains competition, Richie is racing into the Vuelta with confidence and momentum. The whole squad is on board and ready to give their all for the rider fans in Ecuador call La Locomotora.

Richie has already won the Giro d'Italia and finished second at the Vuelta, alongside two other podium finishes at the Giro. The Olympic gold medalist knows what it takes to contend for GC across three weeks of racing.

From the Grand Départ by the glittering Riviera in Monaco to the grand finale in Granada, Richie and his teammates will look to gain time every chance they get.

This year's Vuelta is especially brutal. After the opening time trial in Monaco and the second stage on the Côte d'Azur, the race will head straight to the Pyrenees for a summit finish in Font-Romeu and an intense mountain stage on Andorran roads. A couple of tough medium-mountain days follow before the uphill finish at the top of Aramon Valdelinares on Stage 7. A sprint stage then leads straight into a 5,000-vertical-meter day with a summit finish on the Alto de Aitana in Alicante.

The race then heads for the shimmering, sweltering south and the hills of Andalusia. There are two uphill finishes in the second week, first in Calar Alto on Stage 12 and then up the Sierra de la Pandera on Stage 14. The other stages in the second week are almost as dangerous, with hills en route and the risk of crosswinds. Richie and the squad will have to be switched on from the moment the commissaire's flag drops until they cross the finish line.

Week three starts with two flat sprinters' stages before the 32.5-kilometer time trial into Jerez de la Frontera, where Richie will test his time trial skills. Then it's time for the Vuelta's grand finale. Stage 19 finishes atop the Peñas Blancas in Estepona after 210 kilometers and 4,000 meters of climbing. Stage 20 is even harder. The 2026 Vuelta's queen stage includes five categorized climbs and almost 5,000 meters of climbing with a finish on the summit of the Collado del Alguacil in the Sierra Nevada. Richie will have every chance to launch up the leaderboard on his favorite terrain, before the final stage around the famous Alhambra palace in Granada, where Richie hopes to be crowned champion of the 2026 Vuelta a España.

This year's race suits his attacking, tenacious style. Before the racing gets underway, read Richie's and his teammates' thoughts about the Vuelta.

We're aiming for the general classification. This is important to me because it's a different approach compared to the Tour. I believe we have a great opportunity in the Vuelta a España; we know what the race is like and we're familiar with most of the route. Ultimately, this is what motivates me the most. It's a very mountainous race and it will be difficult, but difficult in the sense that we can actually contend for the general classification. Seeing myself fighting up there for three weeks will be important. It's a mentality I've always had, and it motivates me a lot for this Vuelta. 

After the Tour de France, we spent time training at altitude in Andorra to maintain the same training rhythm we've had since the beginning of the year. Keeping that focus has been important, especially maintaining the mindset that we can achieve a great result at the Vuelta a España. Following the Tour and everything we experienced there, it's been all about staying focused and remembering the importance of concentration. We know this is an opportunity we want to take full advantage of. So, we've stayed focused, maintained our form, and even worked on our weak points. I think it's going to be a beautiful Vuelta.

The route for the Vuelta is very mountainous this year. We have some crucial early stages; by the third and fourth days, for example, we hit the mountains where I think we'll start seeing small time gaps in the general classification. I view that as a positive for us. The Andorra stage will also be key. Stage 20 in Granada features almost 5,000 meters of elevation gain – that will be the queen stage, and I believe it will decide the champion of the Vuelta. Those are critical stages, and obviously, the time trial will be key as well, where we'll just have to defend our position as best we can. Overall, it's a very mountainous Vuelta where you have to stay alert at all times. There are stages with tricky, tight finishes where you must pay attention. In the end, that's what a grand tour is all about: fighting every day and always keeping your focus.

Since we're going in with the mentality of winning the race, we have to race a bit smarter. We need to look for the right moments to attack and make our moves in the right places. We will also need to be a bit more conservative, keeping in mind that the race isn't decided in a single day, but over three weeks. The key for us is to maintain our concentration, optimize our performance on our best days to gain time, and try to limit our losses as much as possible on the difficult days.

Regarding the team, we have a very young and strong squad where everyone has a crucial role for the Vuelta a España. These are riders who know what we're aiming for and what our general goal is: trying to win the Vuelta. It motivates me a lot because all the guys know why they are here and what their job is. Having great riders like Beloki and Steinhauser is key for the decisive days. Then we have experienced riders like Albanese who will contribute immensely to the team, which is highly motivating. Darren and James Shaw are more versatile; they've already ridden several grand tours, and we can get a lot out of what they bring to the table. Overall, we have a strong team that knows our objectives. It's a great mix of experience, and above all, we know we have great opportunities for this Vuelta a España.

I have beautiful memories of the Vuelta. It was my first grand tour when I turned professional in 2017, and it remains one of my fondest career memories. I have great results to look back on: a second-place overall finish, three stage wins, and I've worn the mountains jersey and the green jersey. I've worn most of the jerseys in the Vuelta, and those are beautiful milestones in my sporting career. That really excites me for this year.

I feel really good. I've been training well and I'm in my best form, so I'm really happy. This is my first Vuelta, my first grand tour – a big opportunity. It's the WorldTour, which is very important for me, and a really nice chance.

To get to race with Richie is really incredible. It's my dream, because he's my idol and a great person. It's important for me because I will get to learn from him. It's very special that I can share my first grand tour with him.

My main goal is to help Richie in the final part of the stages. I've spoken with the team, and the most important thing is to help Richie and do my work across the different stages. Beyond that, the most important thing is learning – from Steinhauser, from Beloki, from everyone on the team and on the other teams. Learning at the Vuelta is very important for my development, and for the years ahead.

The longest race in my career so far is 10 days, and 21 days is very different. But the important thing is to go step by step, stage to stage – that's the right process for me. It's important to go well for the three weeks as a whole and to see how my legs are.

It's special for me, for my family, and for my friends, because they've followed the whole process. This year is a real surprise for them, and they're very happy for me. It feels really good.

For a Spanish rider, the Vuelta is always special. I'm really looking forward to helping the team. During the season I had my own opportunities in different kinds of races, but now I'll try to help the team as much as I can. That's the main objective for the next three weeks.

Richie is a super nice guy – we're really good friends. When the team told me Richie was going for GC, I was happy to help him. Working for a leader like Richie is so nice.

We know his level is so high right now – you could see it in the last few days of the Tour, when he was flying and he was the only guy who could get close to Pogačar's level. That gives us a lot of confidence for the three weeks.

I am climbing really well, so I can be close to him when he needs it on the climbs, or helping make a selection of riders. We have different guys for different types of stages – some can support him more on flat stages, with positioning and all those things – and I can be more useful on the climbs.

When I did the altitude camp in the Sierra Nevada I reconned the last two stages, and those were hard. Most of the race is going to be around the south of Spain, and I don't know those roads that well – but the ones I reconned I know really well, so those will be special.

I am also excited for Monaco. I've never been before, so it'll be nice to discover a new place, and for sure we'll have fun there.

I'm relaxed. This is my second Vuelta. I already know what it is, so I'm going to try to enjoy it as much as I can.

I'm feeling positive. I've had a difficult period with some health issues, so I'm really happy to be back and feeling good again. It's also my first Vuelta, which makes it very exciting. I've raced the Giro and the Tour de France several times, so I'm really looking forward to experiencing the Vuelta for the first time.

My role will be particularly important on the flatter and rolling stages, where I can help keep Richie near the front, protect him, and make sure he stays out of trouble. I'll do everything I can to support him and the team throughout the race.

I really appreciate Richie as a person. He's a genuinely good-hearted person, and it's a great honor to be part of the same team as him, especially after all the great results he has achieved. It's motivating to ride for someone like him, and I'm really happy to be able to support him.

I think it's a spectacular route, especially in the south of Spain. There are some really beautiful places and challenging stages, so I think it will be a great Vuelta. And of course, starting in Monaco will be electrifying. Finishing in Granada will also be very special, as it's one of the most beautiful areas in Spain.

After racing the Giro and the Tour de France several times, I'm excited to discover a new grand tour and experience the Spanish atmosphere. The route, the fans, and the landscapes make it a very unique race, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I've always wanted to do a grand tour. Growing up watching pro cycling, I didn't watch a heap, but I always kept an eye on the grand tours, so it was always kind of what I dreamed of. It'll be cool to finally do one.

The longest race I have done so far is the Tour of Portugal, which is 10 stages. But at WorldTour level it's only been one-day races and week-long stage races, like Itzulia or the Dauphiné.

I'm looking forward to three weeks of racing, but I'm also pretty nervous. I know how buckled you can get after a week-long stage race, so the idea of doing another two on top is nerve-wracking. But everyone seems to cope, and I like to think I'm in good enough shape that I'll be fine. It'll definitely be a bit of a stepping stone to see how I cope and respond to three weeks of racing.

It's cool to have such a big goal, but it's also stressful – there's a lot of pressure on everyone else on the team to perform for Richie. Everyone has to step up, because for it to happen he needs a strong team. So it's cool to have that big goal, but knowing the other end of it is that we've really got to perform ourselves.

I think my role will involve leading into some key sectors. There are guys who are better in the mountains who'll be there for him then, but from what I've been told, it'll be Albanese and me doing more of the positioning on the flatter days, or running into some of the longer climbs, just keeping him safe, keeping him up front.

I am super excited for the start in Monaco – I live 10 kilometers away and have lots of friends there, so I'm always around. I know the course really well. It's less of a goal and more that it'll be really cool to take in the atmosphere and ride those roads. Even the second stage passes maybe a kilometer from my apartment, so the first 30 or 40 kilometers I know super well. And the Andorra stage – I've trained and ridden a lot there and know all those roads. It's exciting to race on roads you've trained on a lot; it's pretty rare in cycling, so that'll be really nice. That first week is actually super cool. I'm looking forward to it.

I think I'll be good in the heat. I'm Australian, I'm from the heat, I'm used to it – but I've also been doing a bit of heat prep. It's been cooking here in Nice this last week, mid-30s Celsius every day and high-30s Celsius out on the road. It's been hot. I like to think I'm prepared, but down in the south of Spain it's probably going to be even a little hotter, so it'll definitely be demanding.

I see myself fitting in on the harder, hilly stages, when the road goes up a bit more. There'll probably be a few days where we send a couple of guys up the road, and there's a chance the race blows apart, too hard for any of the domestiques to stay with the leaders – but that's fine, because we'll have men up the road waiting in the wings, hopefully fresh to help when needed.

Richie is a good team leader. He is quiet; he doesn't say much. He's a complete package in his own right, so he makes our jobs easier. We don't have to stress too much. We can concentrate on doing our job the best we can without worrying too much about him, because he always has himself covered. So even though we're there to cover for him, he's so easy to trust and to be there for.

I did an altitude block before the race. I'm normally OK in the heat, knock on wood, but the altitude is all I need to see me in good stead. That's my go-to. People have superstitions – odd socks, lucky charms – and mine's altitude. It is a pretty scientific superstition.

I'm super excited, because I've never done the Vuelta, and Richie seems in a good place. It's the first time I've done two grand tours in a year. I was still recovering from the Tour, and then I got the call that I'm doing the Vuelta, and I got super excited and super motivated for it. I just love racing, and every time you get the chance to do a grand tour, it's something special.

I'm happy to just be there 100 percent for the team, in a full support role, and then see how my legs develop. I'm prepared to give everything, and see what happens.

I've done quite a few races with Richie now and I feel like I'm starting to know him well. He's got so much class as a rider, and it's always nice to be in the same team as him. I enjoy his personality on and off the bike. Seeing how good he was at the Tour, and how he kept his form for Donostia-San Sebastián, definitely makes me confident.

The most important thing for me is that you can really trust him. He knows what he has to do and what he's doing. Even in complicated situations he's always calm and knows exactly what he's doing, because he's so experienced.

I just hope it doesn't get too hot, but as it's all in the south of Spain, maybe I won't get my wish. It's also exciting to race through Monaco. Not many people get the chance to race on those streets, so that's exciting.

I am looking forward to it. I haven't been back to the Vuelta since my first grand tour there in 2024, so it should be fun. It was nice to go and watch a stage or two last year, and having ridden it before, it's good to have another crack knowing what I'm coming up against.

I've done two grand tours with Richie, both going for GC, and last time I did the Vuelta he was close to the podium but not quite on it, so hopefully we can help him onto one of the steps.

There'll be quite a few of us sharing responsibilities – helping each other out when we feel good, doing a bit less when we're not on such a good day, and hopefully it balances out pretty evenly between the six or seven of us doing a similar role. It's a nice crew coming. It'll be hard work and there'll be pressure, but it seems like it's going to be pretty fun as well. Whenever you're working towards a big goal it's always an enjoyable environment – everyone pushing towards the same place with the same outlook, which is what we need.

I have done quite a lot of racing. Just very standard prep, in all honesty: quite a bit of heat training, quite a bit in the gym, and racing Burgos and Donostia-San Sebastián recently. Everything's been pointing in the right direction, so now it's about getting racing and seeing where it takes us.

I'm pretty keen to race in Andorra on Stage 4, and obviously Monaco on day one. And the final stage, finishing in Granada rather than the usual Madrid stage, will be interesting to see how it plays out.