“I find it a bit weird” – Michael Storer questions Pogacar and UAE’s tactics at the Tour de France
Cycling
Michael Storer didn’t win a stage at this year’s Tour de
France, but the 28-year-old Australian believes Tudor Pro Cycling left with
something even more valuable: attention. Speaking with Aidan Burgess on the Domestique
Hotseat podcast, Storer opened up about a memorable July, his first Tour with
Tudor, highlighting everything from Alaphilippe’s selflessness, to team tension
over tactics, and why cherry juice isn’t the secret to recovery.
Reflecting on one of the biggest surprises of the race,
Storer didn’t hesitate to point out the surreal reality of being supported by
two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe. “It's pretty cool when Julian’s
riding for you,” he said. “Everyone knows who he is, what he's done… I still
consider him one of the best bike racers in the world. He's just lacking a
little bit of fitness. Hopefully next year, or towards the end of this year, he
finds that little bit that’s missing. Then it'll be reversing the roles, you'll
see me riding for him.”
Storer said Alaphilippe’s humility stood out. “Some people
with big egos wouldn’t do that… but he is all in for the team.” On certain
stages, he offered to ride for Storer without needing to be asked by the
directors. “He just told me straight up: on these certain days, I’ll help you.”
That support helped produce one of Storer’s most notable
performances of the race, a third-place finish on stage six. Ironically, he
hadn’t planned to be in the breakaway that day. “We had some funny analogies
like, ‘Michael’s still in the fridge staying fresh,’ I was supposed to stay
quiet until stage 10. But then I saw how the race was developing. It took over
two hours for a breakaway to form, and no one from our team was in it. So I
followed Simon Yates, and that ended up being the move.”
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“Those days where you’ve done two hours of racing and then you're the guy who
follows just one move into the break, you feel pretty badass.”
Tudor’s strategy, however, wasn’t without friction. “There
were arguments before the race, after the race, and on the radio about
tactics,” he said. “In the end, I have to do what they say.”
He agreed with fans who thought he’d chased too many
breakaways. “Totally agree. But that wasn’t my decision, that was the team’s
decision.”
Despite missing out on a win, Tudor was seen as one of the
Tour’s most visible teams. “Yeah, definitely a success. We're joking that we
didn’t win a stage, but we won the hearts of the fans. We won at social media,”
Storer said. “Julian especially. After he finished third, L'Équipe ran a huge
front-page photo of him. I don’t think they actually know who won that stage.”
Storer spent much of the race in breakaways, including
several with Quinn Simmons. “I'd say it’s all respect. I talked to him a lot
during the Tour. If I was going into a breakaway, he’d be one of the people I’d
be hoping is in there too. That guy pushes some big numbers. If you need to
stop the peloton, he’s the one. But if you need to beat the guy, that’s a
problem.”
Modern breakaways, Storer said, are nothing like what they
used to be. “The 10-minute breakaways are finished. It’s all about forcing the
breakaway now. The peloton doesn’t let you go, they have to be broken. That
makes the racing extremely hard.”
He pointed to dangerous road conditions and poor preparation
outside of the Tour as part of the problem. “That’s why we crash going in a
straight line, like we did in Naples at the Giro. The road was filthy. I knew
we were all going to crash that day.”
Storer also didn’t shy away from commenting on Tadej Pogacar’s
selective stage hunting. “At least one day, I had some info that Tadej decided
not to win that stage. I find it a bit weird if you get your team to ride full
gas all day and then on the last climb you just decide not to win. If you don’t
want to win the stage, decide that beforehand.”
Storer’s move to Tudor from Groupama - FDJ was about more
than bikes, it was about being valued. “I wanted to go to a team that actually
cared about making me good. Groupama doesn’t have the best support structure.
They kind of just expect you to be good, but not actually do anything to help
you be a good cyclist.”
At Tudor, things are different. “I'm pretty much their main
guy. So they’re throwing a lot of resources behind me to help me be good.”
As for Fabian Cancellara, the team’s marquee name and
co-owner, his role is largely symbolic. “He’s pretty hands off. He doesn’t have
a huge influence on the day-to-day. His real role is more ambassadorial.”
One topic Storer found particularly ridiculous? Watches in
racing. “I’m totally fine with not wearing a Richard Mille on the cobbles.
Cyclists are so focused on aerodynamics, then wear watches with drag. It makes
no sense.”
He also dismissed overhyped recovery hacks. “There’s no
magic cherry juice potion that’s going to fix your recovery. Maybe it’s 0.1% of
your recovery. If I was an amateur, I wouldn’t be buying cherry juice.”
Asked about changes he’d like to see in the sport, Storer
didn’t hold back. “The handlebar rule is stupid. Wider bars are probably more
dangerous. The UCI point system is also dumb. It should be on a one-year cycle.
If it was, we'd be WorldTour at the end of this season. And they should sweep
the roads before races. That's why we crash in straight lines sometimes.”
His advice for juniors was as thoughtful as it was
practical. “Where you really need to be good is under-19s if you want to make
it pro. Focus on school. Do school as well as you can, it’s the only time you
get free education. Make your training efficient and have a social life. That
sets you up for a better future.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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