"If we can preserve Isaac's overall ranking, all the better, but not at any cost" - Gianetti on UAE balancing Pogacar yellow and del Toro at Tour de France
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates -XRG CEO Mauro Gianetti wants to try and pair Tadej Pogacar in yellow with a strong Isaac del Toro result at the Tour de France, but one is certainly more important than the other to the team.
The Emirati squad have worked well to help Pogacar build a vice-like grip around the general classification after ten stages, leading the standings by 3:36 over Jonas Vingegaard and over four minutes ahead of the rest of the podium contenders.
Pogacar took his third stage win of the 2026 La Grand Boucle on Tuesday, soaring to a solo victory on the day's penultimate climb. However, as one UAE rider flew, another sank as del Toro dropped from the main group of favourites before the top of the climb.
Before Pogacar made his move, his UAE teammates controlled the stage and teed up the Slovenian. With Nils Politt, Tim Wellens and Adam Yates putting in big shifts at the front of the peloton, Gianetti laid out what was discussed, and that it was not about revenge for Pogacar.
The world champion was beaten by Vingegaard on a similar stage at the 2024 Tour and righted some wrongs as he made it 24 stage wins.
"Yes, that's it. The plan was to try and win the stage. Not thinking about what happened two years ago, but thinking about this Tour de France," Gianetti told Cyclism'Actu.
Gianetti on UAE's stage 10 tactics
"So the idea wasn't necessarily to go for the stage win at all costs. We first had to see how the breakaway would form and how the race would develop. In the end, it took a long time for the breakaway to get going."
A breakaway did build a gap, extending close to two minutes during the stage. However, Gianetti claimed the breakaway's lack of cohesion made it easy for UAE to keep control.
He added: "Then, there was a good group up front, but they attacked immediately. This prevented the breakaway from gaining a real advantage, and our riders were able to control the situation well."
Isaac del Toro and Tadej Pogacar at the 2026 Tour de France
Del Toro loses time in GC
Del Toro finished 1:31 behind Pogacar after battling hard after the penultimate climb. However, it wasn't enough to see him keep his GC placing, slipping four places to seventh overall. Gianetti said that the team are still hoping to support his GC ambitions, but not at all costs.
"Yes, it's a shame. If he'd crested the climb only five seconds behind instead of ten, he might have been able to get back in and salvage his day," Gianetti continued.
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"But that's how it is: the stage was tough, and the day after a rest day can also bring different feelings. Our goal, as we've already said, is to have Tadej in yellow in Paris. If we can preserve Isaac's overall ranking, all the better, but not at any cost."
The main goal is the yellow jersey with Pogacar. Ginatti stressed that concentration is key for his team. He added: "First, we have to get this far. Every day, we have to stay focused. We're in the Tour de France, and we can't lose our concentration at any point."
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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- Congrats! It is done so now is time for CX.averagecyclist15-11-2026
- It's going to happen at some point. It will happen to Tadej as well, we all get older. Jonas was in pretty great form at the tour. I still consider him a top two or three cyclist in the world, until he's not.awp15-11-2026
- mij, I am not so sure of that. I have been on a spine ward at a Denver hospital that had quite a few spinal injuries from mountain biking.BDBigGuy15-11-2026
- Pogi takes care of his teammates in races and training. Tadej Pogačar is widely praised within the cycling peloton for his fair and egalitarian leadership, actively supporting his UAE teammates both on the road during races and behind the scenes at training camps. Rather than acting like an untouchable superstar, he has intense team loyalty by sharing daily chores, giving up personal glory to help domestiques, and publicly praising their sacrifices. Unlike some Grand Tour contenders, like Vingegaard, who occasionally train away from their squads, Pogi consistently attends team training camps alongside his domestiques, making the exact same sacrifices to build friendship. I love how Pogačar shares his teammates-domestiques, either when they succeed or win in races or when they simply just do a good job for him. It has to be a great moral boost for them. And then they work even harder and go even deeper for Pogi. This is teamwork.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- Yeah, what he said!Lozza15-11-2026
- I’m sure Jasper Philipsen would disagree with you.Lozza15-11-2026
- Article says he was “out for a spin around the town”, implying not off-road.Lozza15-11-2026
- let’s be honest, Alpecin is all about one rider - MVDP. I’m sure he gets whatever he needs, the rest get the scraps.mij15-11-2026
- there are more vicious injuries on a road bike than a mountain bike far and away.mij15-11-2026
- That'll be one crazy rider
Rafionain-Glas15-11-2026
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