"He was perhaps simply surprised that I did that" - Nicolas Prodhomme explains Tadej Pogacar stare after Decathlon interrupt UAE pacing on stage 20
CyclingSunday, 26 July 2026 at 15:30
Nicolas Prodhomme has explained a moment with Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France after it appeared he seemed to upset the yellow jersey. As the general classification group took on the Col du Sarenne on stage 20, Decathlon CMA CGM rocked the boat by taking to the front - temporarily.
As Pogacar looked to set a pace on the final major climb of the 2026 Tour to help Isaac del Toro secure the podium, Seixas and his team had other ideas as they hoped to turn up the pace, leading to Prodhomme heading to the front before slowly dropping back.
As Pogacar once again took charge of the front of the group, he seemed to blankly stare at the French rider as he passed him again. Decathlon would later come to the front and pace, but the intial move seemed to irk Pogacar.
However, working in service of teenage Seixas, Prodhomme claimed the move was inspired to ensure the team finish the Tour with no regrets after the already seismic achievement of his performances.
"At 19, finishing fourth in the Tour de France is already huge," Prodhomme told media after the stage.
"Today, we had to try and make up two, four, or five minutes. In the end, he even kept his position, so we really had to try for the podium. We did everything we could to achieve that. We had to try, so at least we finish this Tour de France without any regrets."
Decathlon's approach to stage 20
Was taking over pacing in the plan? Prodhomme clarifies that it was set earlier in the day. With Matthew Riccitello up the road after being part of the breakaway, Pogacar had asked the team for help with pacing on the approach to La Sarenne.
"Yes, the plan this morning was to send a rider up front to be in contact if we had the legs. The idea was to put either Matthew (Riccitello), Aurélien (Paret-Peintre), or Tiesj (Benoot) there. In the end, we put Matthew.
"The start was very fast, Tiesj tried to bridge the gap but he made a small mistake on the descent and crashed. Then, I'm really happy to have managed to get back in on the descent. Pogi was asking me to take turns at the front, but we had Matthew up ahead."
Their insertion of pace seemed to have a negative effect initially, with Seixas unable to match the pace being set leading to Prodhomme quickly retreating from the front.
He explained: "Then we tried to make the race harder. Paul and I were trying to communicate, we He had a pacing schedule with watts to respect. I think he felt the impact a bit, but at 19, finishing fourth in the Tour is simply huge.
"We adjusted the pacing a bit. Frankly, what he's doing is impressive. Pogacar asked me several times to take turns at the front, but since we had Matthew up ahead, there was no point in us doing that."
Paul Seixas at the 2026 Tour de France
Seixas nails down fourth place spot at Tour
Prodhomme explained the moment, saying that there was 'nothing malicious' in Pogacar's stare as he returned to the middle of the group to ride alongside Seixas.
Later in the climb, he and a retreated Riccitello wound up the pace as Seixas then attacked. However, he quickly paid the bill as Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and del Toro were able to drop him in the final kilometers. Despite losing time on the penultimate stage, Seixas sealed his fourth place on Alpe d'Huez.
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"Then, I felt he wanted to show he was willing to work with him, simply to prevent me from getting past and trying to make the race harder. But that was our strategy, that was the way it was played.
"There was nothing malicious, no intimidation; he was perhaps simply surprised that I did that. In the end, it's a close-knit team. It's still a very, very big result. We mustn't forget the stage win with Olav (Kooij), and there's a really great team spirit for the years to come."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Wout can be pretty good but as Sepp lives for it, hard to imagine.Jumpyjohn26-07-2026
- May be hard for DT to improve on this result.Jumpyjohn26-07-2026
- That’s cool :-)Jumpyjohn26-07-2026
- I think that’s a really bad way of putting it. Either he was too tired, or it was a thought out choice or there was some reason for it but it’s unlikely to have been through stupidity. If you don’t have facts or consider all the possibilities how can you judge why it was done?Jumpyjohn26-07-2026
- Hmmm, so who is doing domestique duties for who exactly? Seems like it was around 50/50.Jumpyjohn26-07-2026
- Hes got 3 more in the legs if he doesnt get bored with the sport.
Front24226-07-2026 - Tadej wins every stage and he is an egotist. The breakaway goes up the road and a rider that he has over 7 minutes on, and he doesn’t react, and this headline. can’t win either way it seemsmij26-07-2026
- I know, they use such b.s. headlines. I saw that and assumed he got deathly ill overnightmij26-07-2026
- I watched the whole Tour on SBS and totally agree with you. Bridie is by far the best womens commentator across all the cycling channels. Really impressed with Caleb with his insight into the peleton. No stupid jokes and wrong information like one commentator we know.
Senna196026-07-2026 - Lol yes.Good one!Cyclingsbestfan26-07-2026
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