"It gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the Vuelta" - Felix Gall satisfied despite vocal criticism of Decathlon CMA CGM tactics
CyclingWednesday, 26 August 2026 at 11:47
Felix Gall is happy with his fill after stage 4 of the Vuelta a Espana, finding his place in the general classification hierarchy and establishing his place in the top ten. Now seventh after recovering time to other GC hopefuls, Gall is content that his Vuelta is well underway.
The Decathlon CMA CGM leader put his team to work in the early parts of the day before Tadej Pogacar set off on a one-man mission, putting over 2:39 into the rest on the stage and cementing his grip on the red jersey.
However, Decathlon's aggressive racing relieved the burden from UAE Team Emirates - XRG throughout the stage, leading to vocal criticism of their tactics on Tuesday. Nonetheless, Gall was proud of his teammates.
"This was the first test for the general classification. I'm really impressed by how strong the team was; it was awesome to see, and I think we can be proud of how we rode today," Gall said.
Gall happy with his Vuelta position after stage 4
Breaking down a tough day in the books, Gall believes he can take confidence in his bid for a podium finish. He sits 25 seconds from the podium on 3:57 from Pogacar, 36 seconds short of Primoz Roglic in second place heading into a hilly day on Wednesday.
"I put a lot into it and tried a few times to make a difference. In the end, it was an incredibly tough day, but I'm definitely happy with this stage, and I think it gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the Vuelta."
He added: "It’s also always nice to finish on the podium and pick up a few bonus seconds."
That sentiment isn't quite shared by Ivan Romeo as the Movistar rider set his sights on Decathlon, questioning why they turned up the pace - highlighting that the move served to help Pogacar and put others under the cosh.
“It was a tough day right from the start. We were more or less planning to join the breakaway of the day, but as soon as the starting flag went up, they went full throttle," Movistar’s Spanish rider Ivan Romeo told Eurosport.
"So we quickly realised they weren’t going to give us much room. After that, Decathlon kind of messed up the race. I don't know if the people watching at home understood it, but I certainly didn't either."
Ivan Romeo blasted Decathlon CMA CGM
Romeo blasts Decathlon tactics
The Movistar leader Enric Mas looked strong among the general classification contenders, but Romeo couldn't get over the Decathlon pace-setting, stating that Pogacar showed the true standard as the dust settled.
"Anyway, everyone makes their own tactical choices. In the end, it is what it is. Enric [Mas, Ed.] was feeling really good; he’d already been saying that over the past few days.
"It's not meant as a criticism or anything, but it is a bit surprising when you see such a superior team riding. I think it surprised all of us; we were talking about it in the group, too. But anyway, it's their race. In the end, Pogacar put everyone back in their place, which was bound to happen sooner or later."
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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- Remco no ballsabstractengineer26-08-2026
- Why the criticism, Gall can only gain time in the mountain and he will lose big time in the TT. So it is natural that his team to put the pressure on. Pogi is already discounted. If Gall misses the podium by a few seconds and he did not try , it will be too late. He has a strong team, he is using them now, later on ,might be too late.abstractengineer26-08-2026
- this is the guy that made unsubstantiated claims of Bora riders bullying him as a reason to leave the team. and then after signing him, Visma couldn't seem to let him out the door soon enough. Movistar should have known.mij26-08-2026
- I've met him and we got on well. You?Renz26-08-2026
- I got the sense that Wout was winding Pog up about not pulling with him after Pog pulled with Mathieu in Paris for the panache of it. Then Wout asked Pog for a bottle for his son and Pog gave his son the shades because Pog is just a great guy.bigmangofast26-08-2026
- I only blame Pogi for not stopping for a minute by the road yesterday, to talk to Adam Yates about how he's living in Andorra, what he had for lunch and whether he's getting ready for Lombardy and Montreal to help him. It's not right for Pogi, not to stop at least for a minute. Shame on you Pogi, for taking so much time on your rivals... 😂😂😂PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- You all know what's scary? Pogi at end of this Vuelta will be much better than he was at beginning of this Vuelta. He hasn't been in red once in these 4 days. The only red on him is his jersey. Yesterday was a combination of zone 4...two times 20 min and the rest was a combination of zones 2 and 3.PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- No, you americans live with a Trump shrine and worship him 24/7... despite he's going to start WW3.PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- This shitt happens only in cycling. Only in cycling you have to gift races, or stay behind so someone else can win. The French were booing Pogi this year at the Tour, just because he was winning too much???PogiSloFans26-08-2026
- “With that madman you don’t even know what the time limit is going to be,” Romeo joked, referring to the Slovenian’s pace. LOL!MajorPayne26-08-2026
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