“If you can, why would you not?” – Geraint Thomas defends Tadej Pogacar’s Cannibal-like Tour de France stage-hunting approach

Geraint Thomas has defended Tadej Pogacar against one of the recurring criticisms of his dominance: that even when he can win, he does not always need to.

The debate has resurfaced at the 2026 Tour de France after UAE Team Emirates – XRG helped set up Isaac del Toro’s victory on Montjuic before chasing down the break and launching Pogacar to victory at Les Angles a day later.

For some, it fed into the familiar complaint that Pogacar’s Cannibal-like hunger leaves little room for the rest of the peloton, even on stages where the yellow jersey contenders might once have allowed the breakaway to fight for the win.

Thomas, though, has little sympathy for the idea that a champion in form should ease off simply because others want a chance.

Speaking to Road.cc at Le Tour, Thomas argued that Pogacar’s approach is exactly what should be expected from a rider with the legs to keep winning. “He won’t care less, you know,” Thomas said. “I think he’s just a champion, he’s hungry, he wants to win and that’s that. No offence, but I never used to read stuff that was written and I just stayed in my own little bubble. And I’m sure he does the same and he’s just hungry for it, he wants to win. And if you can, why would you not?”

In previous eras of the Tour, there were days when the strongest GC team could let a breakaway build a huge lead, then still attack among the favourites later without taking the stage prize away from the escapees. Pogacar and UAE are currently showing far less interest in that kind of separation.

Thomas did not frame that as a problem. If anything, the 2018 Tour de France winner suggested it is part of what makes Pogacar so exceptional. “I think Pog’s phenomenal and probably the greatest ever,” he said. “So I’ve got no qualms about him wanting to win.”

Thomas’ defence of Pogacar did not mean he ignored the strain UAE’s aggression could create. The Welshman suggested Pogacar himself may be able to handle that relentless approach, but the same question hangs over the rest of the team across three weeks.

“I do… well, I don’t worry about it, because I’d love them to all blow up,” Thomas joked. “But I think that is maybe a challenge for them, how well his team cope with it. Pog can. Will the others continue like that all the way through the three weeks? Maybe.”

There was no moral objection from Thomas, though. If he had the same level of control, the same leader and the same chance to keep winning, he admitted he would race in a similar way. “But that aggression, that attitude – I would do it if I was in that position,” he added.

That is the difference between criticising the tactic and being frustrated by its consequences. Thomas clearly sees why rivals and stage-hunters would hate it. He just does not see why Pogacar should apologise for using his advantage.

The effect on the rest of the race is already clear. UAE’s willingness to chase stages has made it harder for other teams to judge which days are genuinely available for breakaways, particularly now that Pogacar has already shown he is willing to collect wins early rather than wait for the high mountains.

Thomas admitted that Les Angles had caught him by surprise. “I was really surprised they rode like that yesterday,” he said. “I was at first kind of like, what are they actually doing? They must be going for the stage, and then obviously they were. But it’s just different, and they’re confident.”

For Netcompany INEOS and other teams now hunting opportunities away from the GC fight, that uncertainty changes the calculation. A stage that looks perfect for the break can quickly become another Pogacar target if UAE decide the finish is worth chasing.

“It’s tough because we were on the bus yesterday thinking, I don’t really understand cycling anymore,” Thomas said. “It’s just different, you know. If you asked everyone, every bike rider yesterday, I think a big percentage would have said, probably a break. Same with today, but now we’re like, well, will it? You know, what is going to happen? You don’t really know. But that’s it. That gives it a bit more excitement anyway.”

Thomas still warned against surrendering too much mentally to UAE. Even if Pogacar’s team are threatening to control more stages than expected, he said the rest of the peloton cannot afford to race as though every opportunity has already been closed down.

“I think it’s always a bit of a gamble,” he said. “Like maybe in the past there were certain days you could say it will be, but you’ve got to buy a ticket. I mean, if you want to win the lottery, you’ve got to be in it to win it. And you’ve got to start with the right mindset. I definitely wouldn’t be drawn into, oh UAE, they want it together. Don’t just play into their hands, don’t just let them have it. But the whole peloton has to think the same way. It can’t just be one team.”

Pogacar’s approach may keep irritating those who believe the Tour needs space for more than one rider’s winning habit. Thomas’ answer is far simpler: champions race to win, and Pogacar currently has little reason to stop.