Pogačar is the exception: back at the Vuelta a España 2026 for the first time since 2019, he's betting that racing into form beats resting into it. The seven-day window between the Vuelta's September 13 finish and the Worlds start on September 20 forces a binary choice — and the Montréal circuit, 273.7 km with 3803 m of climbing and gradients exceeding 11 per cent, punishes anyone who arrives either under-cooked or carrying Grand Tour legs. The field is splitting along two bets, and neither one is obviously right.