NSN Cycling Team will head to La Vuelta with an eight-rider squad focused on making the most of its opportunities across the three weeks, combining experienced Grand Tour campaigners with three riders making their debut at this level.
George Bennett, Jan Hirt, Hugo Hofstetter, Moritz Kretschy, Alexey Lutsenko, Pau Martí, Nick Schultz and Floris Van Tricht will line up in Monaco on Saturday 22 August for the final Grand Tour of the 2026 season.
The team heads into the race with options across a wide variety of terrain. Hofstetter will provide opportunities in the faster finishes, while the mountain and medium-mountain stages will offer chances for the team’s climbers and breakaway specialists.
“Our goals for La Vuelta are mainly focused around stage results,” says Sports Director Pat McCarty. “We want to win a stage and be present on or near the podium in stages across each of the three weeks.
“We start with a few sprint opportunities, already on Stage 2, where we will focus on supporting Hugo in the faster finishes. From there, we will target every breakaway opportunity with our best-fit riders for that stage’s profile.”
This year’s lineup brings together very different levels of Grand Tour experience, with Kretschy, Martí and Van Tricht — all of whom have come through the team’s development program — set to make their Grand Tour debuts.
For Martí, the occasion carries additional significance as the Spaniard prepares to make his Grand Tour debut at his home race.
“To make my Grand Tour debut at La Vuelta makes it very special,” says Martí. “It’s a race I grew up watching at home and dreamed of one day being on the start line, so I’ve prepared for it with a lot of hard work and excitement.
“These days at home have made me realise even more how big it is. Every time I go out in my village, people stop me to ask about La Vuelta and wish me luck. You can really feel how excited everyone around me is, and racing in Spain always gives you that extra motivation in front of our home fans.
“The stages through the Comunidad Valenciana are the ones I’m especially looking forward to because they are very close to home and I know there will be family and friends on the roadside. It would be amazing to try to fight for one of those stages, whether from the breakaway or the peloton. I also think the medium-mountain stages can suit me well.
“My main goal is to enjoy every moment and learn as much as possible. It will be my first time racing for three consecutive weeks, so I know I can learn a lot from the more experienced riders. When I have my own opportunity, I’ll give everything to try to fight for the win, and on the other days I’ll do everything I can to help the teammate who has the opportunity.”
McCarty believes the balance between first-time Grand Tour riders and experienced campaigners will be one of the team’s strengths.
“Our team for La Vuelta this year will bring experience and excitement. We have three riders — Moritz, Pau and Floris — starting their first Grand Tour ever.
“Along with that young exuberance, we have some experienced riders who have won stages in multiple Grand Tours. For me, this is a great mix for what we want to accomplish.”
Across the three weeks, the team expects opportunities to come both in the sprints and from breakaways, with the shape of the general classification helping determine when to commit its resources.
“There are really a number of opportunities in each week, depending on the race dynamics,” McCarty adds. “We’ll need to be smart about where we can use our energy on the more difficult stages to try for stage results.
“In terms of sprints, we see about five opportunities across the race, with Stages 2, 5 and 8 before the first rest day. In the second week, there are also a number of difficult stages that could result in a breakaway making it to the finish.
“We’ll see where the race stands after the first rest day, but we expect and will be ready for a number of open stages going into September. It looks like an exciting Vuelta.”
La Vuelta begins with a technical 9.4-kilometer individual time trial through Monaco, which will become the first venue to have hosted the opening stage of all three Grand Tours.
From there, 21 stages and more than 58,000 metres of elevation gain await before the race concludes in Granada on Sunday 13 September.
NSN Cycling Team at La Vuelta (Saturday 22 August – Sunday 13 September)
Riders: George Bennett (NZL), Jan Hirt (CZE), Hugo Hofstetter (FRA), Moritz Kretschy (GER), Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ), Pau Martí (ESP), Nick Schultz (AUS), Floris Van Tricht (BEL)
Sports Directors: Pat McCarty (USA), Oscar Guerrero (ESP), René Andrle (CZE)