"I think UAE will want revenge; they won't have been laughing about yesterday" - GC rider predicts Pogacar resurgance after Vingegaard took yellow
Cycling
The Tour de France general classification contenders are expecting UAE Team Emirates - XRG revenge on Sunday's stage 2. After Jonas Vingegaard denied Tadej Pogacar going into the yellow jersey right from the off in Barcelona.
The Dane and Visma | Lease a Bike played their team time trial to perfection to take the stage win and yellow jersey in a double blow to UAE and Pogacar. The Slovenian will wear the polka dot jersey on stage 2.
And on the morning of Sunday's stage, GC contender Cian Uijtdebroeks fears that UAE will control a hilly and punch Monjuic circuit to Pogacar a chance to take some time back on Vingegaard. Looking ahead to the stage for himself, the Belgian knows UAE will take Visma's yellow win seriously.
"The key is to stay as close as possible to the top players and hopefully make up some time," he told VTM NIEUWS.
He added: "I think UAE will want revenge; they won't have been laughing about yesterday."
Uijtdebroeks endures difficult opening stage
Uijtdebroeks was one of the big GC losers on stage 1 as he suffered in the hill zone to the finish line. He was dropped by his Movistar teammates and finished 1:53 behind Vingegaard in a disappointing performance.
After the stage, Uijtdebroeks confirmed after the stage that stage to Sporza just went wrong, pointing to the heat as the reason behind his difficult afternoon.
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“I already had cramps before I started the first climb,” he said. “The plan was for me to sprint to the finish, but of course that is difficult with cramps.”
The setback comes after a more encouraging build-up, including a solid showing at the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes. However, on Saturday the demands were different: a fast team effort through the city, followed by a steep final section where any weakness became immediately visible. “If I lose a minute later, it will still be okay,” Uijtdebroeks added. “But the Tour is still long.”
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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