Master and apprentice denied reunion as talks between Allan Peiper and Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates collapse

Allan Peiper, regarded by many as the mastermind behind Tadej Pogacar's Tour de France successes and a key confidant of the Slovenian, will no longer be returning to UAE Team Emirates, as had been expected, following a breakdown in discussions.

Initially leaving the set up at UAE Team Emirates due to illness, the Australian had been expected to return with CEO Mauro Gianetti even saying in January, “when Allan retired for health reasons, I said there would always be a place for him. When he called me, I was very happy to keep this promise. Not so much because of the job, but that he is in good health again. That is the most important. The team has grown in the meantime, but we can be content with his experience and expertise at our side."

Now though, just a few short months since that statement discussions have collapsed. "We were unable to reach an agreement about the strategy and the way in which my role should be fulfilled," reveals a disappointed Peiper to HLN. "I've been in deep water for several weeks. In between my treatments, I only have a small window in which I can teach something. That window is now closed again for me."