"I’m lucky to have had close to the perfect preparation" - Tadej Pogacar fully ready for Tour de France
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has raced and dominated the Criterium du Dauphiné and that was enough, after a spring without almost a single stage-race, to confirm that he was in the right form to fight for the Tour de France. Today UAE Team Emirates - XRG confirmed their lineup and this is what he had to say.
“I’m excited for the Tour to start. I’m lucky to have had close to the perfect preparation this year — everything has gone really smoothly, especially coming off a great altitude camp with my teammates," Pogacar said in a press release. "The vibes in the team are amazing right now, and that gives me a lot of confidence".
“Of course, you can never be fully prepared for something like the Tour de France — it’s unpredictable, and that’s part of what makes it so special". The first week of racing will present various flat and explosive hilly stages which can come as a big challenge for the GC riders when it comes to positioning and avoiding crashes.
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This is something all GC riders will have to face and although Pogacar is rather good at avoiding crashes, at times it happens in ways that can't be prevented. However if the Slovenian manages to escape unscathed, it will be very hard to beat him later in the race.
“I’m expecting a very high level from all the other top riders. The first few days should be really exciting for the fans with some open, aggressive stages, and the last week is very climbing-heavy with some iconic stages. It’s going to be a big fight all the way to Paris, but I’m ready to give everything. It’s hard to believe it’s already my sixth Tour de France, time flies," he concluded. The Tour starts on the 5th of July, already within just about a week's time.
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We’re ready to chase a 4th @LeTour title with @TamauPogi leading the charge 🇸🇮🔥
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) June 27, 2025
Here’s our lineup for #TDF2025:
🇵🇹 @JooAlmeida98
🇪🇨 @NarvaezJho
🇩🇪 @PolittNils
🇸🇮 @TamauPogi
🇫🇷 @PavelSivakov
🇪🇸 @solermarc93
🇧🇪 @Tim_Wellens
🇬🇧 @AdamYates7
From Lille to Paris, 3339km and… pic.twitter.com/GXFIXsAWCz

Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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