“Del Toro is far above Jorgenson right now” - UAE backed to outgun Visma in Pogacar-Vingegaard Tour de France battle
Cycling
With just a few days to go before the start of the 2026 Tour de France, the great battle between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard has already begun. However, beyond the expected duel between the two dominant riders of the last decade, the real war could be decided by the teams around them.
The CiclismoAlDia podcast analysed the eight riders from UAE Team Emirates – XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike one by one, reaching an almost unanimous conclusion: UAE have the strongest, most versatile and best-prepared squad to conquer Paris.
The final score in their head-to-head comparison produced a clear 14-10 advantage for the Emirati team.
Pogacar, the undisputed favourite against Vingegaard
The first match-up left little room for doubt. All three participants on the programme chose Tadej Pogacar ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. This was not only because of the extraordinary form shown by the Slovenian throughout the season, but also because of the nature of the route.
As they explained on the podcast, the opening stages with explosive finishes and classics-style profiles clearly favour the UAE leader. “He is a much more complete cyclist and also arrives at the best moment of his career,” Juan Larra said during the video podcast discussion.
Another point highlighted was calendar management. While Pogacar arrives with fewer racing days and surrounded by a completely renewed squad compared to the Giro d’Italia, Visma will repeat several riders who rode the Corsa Rosa, including Sepp Kuss and Victor Campenaerts. For the analysts, that accumulated effort could take its toll as the race goes on.
Isaac del Toro, the great difference-maker
One of the clearest points of agreement came when comparing Matteo Jorgenson with Isaac del Toro. The CiclismoAlDia panel consider the Mexican to be the best luxury domestique in the peloton right now.
Del Toro’s recent performances at the Criterium du Dauphine and the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes convinced the analysts, who even went as far as to say that the young UAE rider could fight for the final Tour podium. “Del Toro is far above Jorgenson right now,” they unanimously said during the discussion, pointing to the poor form of the American, who is not going through his best season.
There was even speculation over a hypothetical historic result for UAE, with Pogacar and Del Toro occupying two of the three places on the podium in Paris.
For the programme, the Mexican represents an absolute guarantee both as a domestique and in the high mountains, where he could make decisive differences.
Sepp Kuss, one of Visma’s few wins
It was not all praise for UAE. One of the few match-ups that went in favour of the Dutch team was the one between Sepp Kuss and Adam Yates.
Doubts over the Briton’s physical condition after his heavy crash at the Giro d’Italia clearly tilted the balance towards the American. The panellists highlighted that Kuss arrives after completing a solid Giro and after showing a notable level at the Andorra Classic.
They also underlined that the rider from Colorado remains one of the most reliable domestiques in Grand Tours and an essential piece for Vingegaard’s ambitions. “Adam Yates is an unknown and Kuss is showing a clearly superior level this year,” Javier Rampe noted.
If there were two names especially praised during the analysis, they were Tim Wellens and Nils Politt. Regarding the Belgian, the participants highlighted his enormous versatility. They consider Wellens to currently be one of Pogacar’s most trusted men, capable of working on flat terrain, in the medium mountains and even holding on during demanding climbs.
His duel with Victor Campenaerts generated divided opinions, although in the end the experience and versatility of the UAE rider carried more weight for some of the analysts.
The consensus around Nils Politt was even stronger. The German was defined as UAE’s equivalent of Campenaerts: an all-terrain domestique capable of controlling breakaways for kilometres and sustaining the peloton’s pace in any circumstance. “If any breakaway makes it, it will be because Politt wants to allow it,” Jorge Borreguero said, recalling the German’s collective work at last year’s Tour.
Vingegaard (L) and Pogacar (R) have dominated the Tour de France in the 2020s
A more complete and fresher UAE
Beyond the individual match-ups, the podcast’s main conclusion was that UAE have a more balanced and versatile line-up.
While Visma are backing more rouleur-style riders and time-trial specialists, such as Edoardo Affini and Campenaerts, the Emirati squad offers, according to the analysts, more solutions on any type of terrain. “UAE have riders who are more mixed and well-balanced, while Visma bring more defined profiles,” Rampe highlighted during the podcast.
In addition, the presence of names such as Del Toro, Wellens, Politt, McNulty and Florian Vermeersch gives Pogacar tactical alternatives for virtually any race scenario.
The big unknown remains Adam Yates, but even with the doubts surrounding the Briton, the consensus on CiclismoAlDia is clear: Pogacar not only arrives as the overwhelming favourite for the yellow jersey, but also accompanied by the strongest squad at the Tour de France.
And in an edition that promises to be decided by small details, having the best team could prove decisive.
Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
- You are wrong, they are already working on his new tt position. And yes, Trump does love you 😂👍🏼awp01-11-2026
- The Erola Jons incident was not isolated. She felt she could do that because that's how everyone treats Tadej. Remember when he said "If I say wait 2 mins do you show the middle finger and walk off angry?" about the supposed fan who did exactly that? There's nothing wrong with the nurses and doctors asking him to give autographs... but do the surgery first
Rafionain-Glas01-11-2026 - Perhaps he has what Mark Cavendish had, the Epstein-Barr Virus. It caused him severe and unexplained chronic fatigue. I hope he gets better.
parisbound0001-11-2026
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