"I know we could do better" - Tadej Pogacar drops down Paris-Nice GC as UAE Team Emirates shed time in team time-trial

The team time-trial is a difficult discipline to master, and today UAE Team Emirates have lost some time due to it. Tadej Pogacar has lost the lead he gathered over the opening days to his rivals after losing some time against the clock.

"I know we could do better. But I am still satisfied with our performance. I think we got everything out of it," the Slovenian said in a post-race interview. His efforts saw him cross the line alone after UAE set him up for the finale. It was a thrilling sprint, but not enough to make up for the losses over the 32 kilometers.

"Tim [Wellens] was still a bit tired. He just came back from the Strade. Also, we only got the bikes a few days ago. But we still did well and we are now in a good starting position for the next stages," he explained. Pogacar dropped down to 10th in the GC, 11 seconds behind Jonas Vingegaard and 7 behind Simon Yates.

"We are in a good position now. I'm glad we can relax a bit and sit back now that we're not in charge. We should take advantage of that," he concluded. Stage 4 won't give any room for relaxing however as the race heads into a day that is expected to feature crosswinds, as well as the important tough summit finish at La Loge des Gardes.