"Everyone suffered..." - Tadej Pogacar happy to experience calmer day at the Tour de France after mountain raid
CyclingFriday, 10 July 2026 at 18:53
The Tour de France had its escape from the mountainous and hilly terrain at long last. After the Grand Depart in Catalunya and move through the Pyrenees, the peloton finally headed towards Nouvelle-Aquitanie, where they found a perfectly flat day without obstacles - something Tadej Pogacar was happy to encounter after a brutal start to the race.
A much-needed calm day
Back in yellow, Pogacar was once again the unmistakable figure at the start of the stage in Hagetmau. UAE Team Emirates - XRG did not have much work to do on a day that was designed to please the sprinters, and in which both Soudal - Quick-Step and Alpecin - Premier Tech readily deployed men to control the breakaway.
Pogacar had to remain safe, this time surrounded by his rouleur and classics specialist teammates, not the climbers like the previous stage in which he dealt a killer blow to the overall classification.
"The atmosphere was the same as every day, so yes, pretty good" the maillot jaune said in a post-race interview. "Today, even though it was an easier day, it was still important to keep body temperature down, to be careful in tricky situations in the cities, and simply to remain cautious".
Pogacar was able to stay safe, avoiding splits such as the one in Pau which saw him still digging deep all the way to the line. "We did a great job and it was a good day. I think if you ask anyone in the peloton, everyone suffered a bit after yesterday's efforts, myself included. We were all grateful to have an easier day today,"
Tadej Pogacar talking to Matteo Trentin during stage 7 of the Tour de France
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Will Pogacar take it easy the rest of the week?
Pogacar will get to enjoy another day in yellow this Saturday afternoon as the peloton move inland towards Bergerac, another stage which suits the sprinters and in which the responsibility will not be overly high. In a comfortable race lead, he has now taken back the media and podium duties which take away from his recovery time, but this may be lost.
Depending on who gets in the breakaway, stage 9 into Ussel could be quite interesting and turn the overall classification on its head as did stage 4 - where Pogacar also let the yellow jersey change.
That will be a treacherous hilly day, but it can be argued that UAE will have no reason to burn matches on a day where it's unlikely to reap the benefits from. In the right circumstance, they may shed the responsibility away to a different team.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Unfortunately, it’s human nature. When one’s favorite is not the one attacking 40km out, then the race is considered “boring”. But if their favorite rider was the one doing it then it’s “exciting”. I enjoy it whether it’s Pogi, Vingo, Seixas, Remco, or any GC contender that can put a 2 min gap in week one. It’s called competitive sport and if you can show dominance, that’s exciting regardless of the athlete. Or maybe it’s simply because some folks are mad that they’ve lost $$$ in betting on the wrong rider ;)b3tlla10-07-2026
- Leaving the race because you finished second all the time? Naaah. What kind of champion will give up? If Jonad leaves the Tour isn't because he is a broken man, but he is fatigued from the Giro. What an odd prediction! We gotta give Jonas credit. He is mentally strong.jelantik10-07-2026
- Sometimes I think that Bradley Wiggins will say absolutely any old thing, just to hear the sound of his own voice.
santiagobenites10-07-2026 - Yes, he is paid to race but a rider of his caliber is also trying to build legacy. It's doubtful he would stop racing the Tour this year.awp10-07-2026
- I guess it could happen, this is the best I've seen Jonas since that really bad crash in 2024. In my own opinion, I would doubt that he quits, I don't consider him a quitter.awp10-07-2026
- he is paid to race, what is this Wiggins going on about?? Jonas is not here as a recreation rider.foothead10-07-2026
- Lipo vs Remco- that battle is definitely not over, lol. When is Lipo's contract up?
ScottG10-07-2026 - Reach a conclusion then mate
Rafionain-Glas10-07-2026 - Why would he quit? Too much projecting by Wiggins. Jonas was very straightforward- it wasn't his day. Still- a group of fantastic climbers still couldn't catch him. This Tour is far from over.ScottG10-07-2026
- I was going to say the same thing. I'm also surprised how he didn't follow it up with a book promotion or at least link Vingegaard's struggles to how he (Wiggins) has had a terrible life and everyone's been nasty to him. I hope Ben Wiggins hasn't inherited that.Rafionain-Glas10-07-2026
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