“It’s a bit of a shame they didn’t let the breakaway go” – Remco Evenepoel questions UAE chase after Tadej Pogacar takes Tour de France yellow
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel saw Tadej Pogacar ride away in the final metres at Les Angles, but his reaction after stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France was not only about the sprint he could not follow.
The Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe leader also pointed towards the way UAE Team Emirates – XRG had controlled the day, dragging the race back from a dangerous breakaway before Pogacar finished the job and moved into yellow.
“It is a bit of a shame that they didn’t let the breakaway go,” Evenepoel told Sporza after the finish. “That would have been a nice chance for them. But it is like Tadej said after the finish: if you feel you can win, you shouldn’t leave it behind.”
UAE had already won stage 2 through Isaac del Toro, then doubled up 24 hours later with Pogacar after taking responsibility for the chase on the first Pyrenean stage. Alex Baudin had briefly threatened yellow from the breakaway and later secured the polka dots, but the move was eventually brought back before the final climb to Les Angles.
UAE strength leaves Evenepoel following
Evenepoel was still in the favourites’ group when the stage reached its decisive final kilometre, but the effort required was different from the one that had carried him to third place a day earlier in Barcelona.
“I felt that the best had gone,” he admitted. “When we turned onto the final climb, I felt that I would be able to ride hard, but that I wouldn’t be able to sprint for the win.”
By then, Del Toro had delivered Pogacar towards the final kick and the stage had become a fight for position behind the UAE leader’s acceleration. “That had been the plan if I had felt really good,” Evenepoel said of sprinting for the stage. “Now I just had to follow.”
Pogacar won the stage and took yellow, while Jonas Vingegaard finished second and stayed level with him on overall time. Evenepoel remained third overall at 23 seconds, still firmly placed in the GC picture but already with a clear view of the force UAE are carrying into the race. “UAE also look very strong again, as usual,” Evenepoel said.
Tourmalet already in view after punch goes missing
The Belgian’s own condition became another thread after the finish, with the Tour’s first major mountain appointment already waiting later in the week. “It wasn’t a bad feeling, but I just lacked a bit of punch after being out of competition for so long,” he explained. “These kinds of hard days will only make me better.”
The contrast with stage 2, where Evenepoel had sprinted to third, came down to the type of effort. “That was a different kind of effort,” he said. “More like driving hard for 700 metres. Now it was really sprinting flat out for 300 metres.”
Evenepoel still left Les Angles satisfied with his Tour start. Pogacar and Vingegaard are level at the top, Evenepoel sits 23 seconds back, and the other major GC names remain close after the first real uphill test. “It was tough, but everything is still close together,” he said. “All the leaders are clearly where they need to be.”
The next two days are expected to be calmer before stage 6 brings the Tourmalet and the first major mountain appointment of the race. Evenepoel’s first Les Angles lesson was clear enough: UAE are already strong enough to shut down the breakaway, Pogacar is already sharp enough to finish it, and the Belgian still needs the harder days to sharpen the punch he felt was missing.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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