"Make sure Tadej Pogacar stays in control of the Tour" - UAE DS shares simple and direct goal for Massif Central day

Easier said than done, but UAE Team Emirates - XRG is going into stage 10 of the Tour de France with the goal of keeping the race under control for Tadej Pogacar. With the looming threat of an explosive and hilly day and a hungry Team Visma | Lease a Bike, doing so will likely already require an all-out effort.

The weekend provided two flat stages where on paper the team would be able to recover from it's first days of racing, but that didn't prove to be the case too much. The Tour had it's second fastest ever stage on Sunday averaging over 50Km/h and frequent attempts at echelons, where Pogacar was often isolated. Worst than that, the team had to see João Almeida withdraw from the race following the consequences of his injuries.

“I mostly feel sorry about João Almeida having to abandon. We’ve lost our lieutenant. The guy who finished fourth in the Tour last year," Gianetti said following the stage to Cyclism'Actu. "He could have played a role. Having two riders in the GC, that really helps, tactically speaking".

Into stage 10 there is a fragile UAE who may need Pogacar to respond to attacks early on if Visma really do go all-out with a tactical move and include Matteo Jorgenson in it's early offensive plans. There will be 4500 meters of climbing and most of them through climbs that are not brutal, meaning lots of riders have a chance of getting themselves in the day's breakaway and work with whomever may be there.

“Make sure Tadej Pogacar stays in control of the Tour. I see a complex and very tough stage. It’s going to be a big challenge," the team's sports director admits. "We’ll see who does well and who doesn’t. It’s an important stage and everyone’s looking forward to it. We’ve already come a long way in this Tour. Some people say the real Tour starts tomorrow, and while it is true that we start a different Tour tomorrow, the riders are already carrying a lot of fatigue in their legs from the first eight days.”

The Italian was asked about the team's main rival and who they may be afraid of, but he rejects the idea that this Tour is only a head-to-head battle with Jonas Vingegaard. “I’ve said it before, we’re afraid of everyone. Not just Jonas Vingegaard. There’s also Remco Evenepoel, Kévin Vauquelin..." he replies. "If you look at history, of course we’re most wary of Vingegaard. He’s only 1 minute and 17 seconds behind, which is good for us. But he’s still a two-time Tour winner, and he deserves a lot of respect".