“I could have a day like Adam did" - Pogacar hopes to avoid Yates illness after UAE rider survives Tour de France stage 17
CyclingThursday, 23 July 2026 at 10:50
Tadej Pogacar is well aware that his Tour de France could be turned upside down if he endures a day saimilar to Adam Yates on Wednesday. The British rider was suffering from illness and finished 26:36 down on winner Jasper Philipsen.
UAE Team Emirates -XRG sent Tim Wellens back to help the climber pace the final period of the stage as Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro remained in the peloton. Yates, however, looked to struggle through to the finish line.
In the aftermath, Pogacar and his team echoed their support for Yates as it was revealed that he had been vomiting the day before the stage and suffering physically. However, he had recovered slightly before the stage.
“Adam struggled like crazy yesterday, but he looked much better this morning. It was just such a tough stage, even for fit riders," Pogacar said after the stage.
"When Adam fell behind, we decided to have Tim wait for him and ride him to the finish. There’s a chance he’ll recover from this and be in good shape on Friday and Saturday.”
Pogacar fears the same fate as Yates
Leading the yellow jersey battle by over four minutes, Pogacar knows that with just four stages remaining, the finer details will be the difference between staying fit and catching an illness.
He added: “I could have a day like Adam did today. Every little detail can affect you and turn things around, so it’s nice to be in the lead, but everything can change.”
After the stage, UAE CEO confirmed that Yates was isolated from the rest of the squad on Wednesday and that the team were awaiting an update on his condition ahead of stage 18.
Gianetti said: "We isolated him last night because we didn't know exactly what it was. He had this episode of vomiting, so we preferred to take precautions.
Read also
"Now we're waiting for him to arrive here to get a bit more news, because we haven't been able to speak with him yet."
An important mountain domestique, his condition could weaken the Emirati squad's presence in the high mountains. For now, Yates will follow the recommendations of doctors in regards to his future in the race.
He added: "Adam is an important mountain runner. We hope he can recover. Tomorrow morning, we'll assess the situation to see how he's feeling and what he decides to do, in consultation with the doctors.
"We really hope he can recover. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes not... we'll see."
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The organisers’ optimism suggests that the Vuelta a España 2026 could feature one of the biggest possible attractions for cycling fans because of Tadej Pogačar - THE GOAT !!! The Spanish fans love Pogi, just like the Italians, on contrary, the French are giving him the middle finger (caught on camera)... the French are booing him (caught on camera)... the French media is implying or hinting that Pogi might be doping. What's going to be next... spitting or throwing urine into Pogi's face???mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales23-07-2026
- Love the guy but I hope he doesn't. We need a grand tour that has a genuine competition in it for GC.Cyclingsbestfan23-07-2026
- "(...) and why not the rest of the top ten?" Unfortunately in the rest of TOP 10 is a french rider which is somehow invisible for ITA.averagecyclist23-07-2026
- Oh he is. Was mentioned here somewhere. Also ironic if you consider the behaviour of american fans at the Ryder Cup.
Andrew23-07-2026 - LA Doper with drug testing whining ... not unexpected!frieders323-07-2026
- The headline is kind of click bait-y. Watch the YouTube clip yourselves. I don't think the headline is what I took out of the discussion. If I had to summarise, Geraint doesn't really assign blame, but it's kind of inferred that he probably thinks Campenaerts is to blame for following the moto and as a result, goes round the roundabout too hot. Geraint does say outright that he doesn't blame the 2am testing given that the peloton had already ridden through lots of dodgy corners safely earlier in the stage. I think this has been the key debate every fan has been discussing (whether the 2am testing had an impact) - I know there was even some heated debates on the Escape Collective comments, which is usually quite civilised...Pogboom23-07-2026
- If he’s American that’s extremely ironic considering how many of them consider Trump to be a goat (I don’t like shouting).Jumpyjohn23-07-2026
- First of all, there is no 100 fine so most likely a typo. Secondly there are dozens of regulation breaches, each with different severity so no surprise to see differences in punishment (a bit like you when driving through a red light or not stopping at a pedestrian crossing. You need to do more homework to find details if it interests you.Jumpyjohn23-07-2026
- Says the prototype stereotypical american who although now lives elsewhere is an americam by birth.Andrew23-07-2026
- "Stage 16 (...) - DS Steven De Jongh (Lidl-Trek) fined 2,000CHF for breaching regulations or guidelines concerning vehicle movements during the race. (...)" "Stage 17 (...) - Team Visma | Lease a Bike DS Arthur van Dongen: Breach of regulations or guidelines concerning vehicle movements during the race and failure to comply with the instructions of commissaires. 100CHF fine, Yellow card, DS relegation (loss of positions in the convoy)." Lidl-Trek DS, 2000CHF fine, Visma DS 100CHF fine?Lobz7722-07-2026
Loading
Write a comment