"Pog's like, 'Well, I may as well just win'" - Peloton left frustrated by UAE controlling Tour de France stage 3
CyclingTuesday, 07 July 2026 at 12:30
Riders hoping for a Tour de France breakaway bonanza on Monday's stage 3 were left disappointed after UAE Team Emirates - XRG turned up the heat. Their control of the stage burned off the breakaway and teed up Tadej Pogacar for a final climb assault, winning the stage and taking the yellow jersey.
For some within the peloton, it was the same old story, with UAE's aggressive tactics making the breakaway a rare and often fruitless pursuit for attackers with no general classification ambitions.
For those with yellow on their mind, Pogacar's arrival into the Maillot Jaune sparks concerns that he may not let go of the jersey for some time. With Isaac del Toro in support, the Slovenian is level on time with Jonas Vingegaard while Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas and others battl to stay within reach.
For Chris Harper, a climber in support of Tom Pidcock at Pinarello Q36.5, it's all about how the early part of the day plays out - with UAE inevitably bound to ramp it up in the peloton ahead of the finale.
Harper on Pogacar winning a possible breakaway day
"I think sometimes on these days everyone wants to be in the breakaway and then we race for so long," Harper said in a team statement.
He noted the break's long formation and UAE keeping climbers intact ahead of Monday's final hill section the main reasons for the break being brought back. What happens next is simple from his perspective: the race is there to be won if you're Tadej Pogacar.
"We get to a point where someone like Pog's like, 'Well, I may as well just win.' I guess once you get over that first climb, if they don't have to use any of their climbers and can just rely on their big engines."
He added: "Then once they take over it's really hard for the break to stay away. The longer it takes for the move to go, the harder it becomes for those riders to make it to the finish."
The rather dismal take has been echoed by several within the peloton, hoping for breakaway opportunities. For GC contenders, Jonas Vingegaard expressed his satisfaction with his level against Pogacar in a one-punch climbing sprint to the line - losing just two seconds plus some bonuses awarded at the line.
For others, they'll be hoping a shallower stage 4 could be one for breakaways or even the versatile sprinters as the race starts in France for the first time in this edition.
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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- I should point out that the world cup is going beautifully in the USA and nobody is hating it. Trump may be an idiot, but he is our problem, not yours. And regarding Israeli behavior, explain to us how Europe made the creation of modern Isreali state a necessity?? I thought so.dave07-07-2026
- Not bad at all for what is considered his weak point. With him being in the leanest condition ever, he should really excel in the high mountains when the gc contenders are isolated.
Front24207-07-2026 - Y A W N. How old are you? You sound like a teenage girl in the midst of her first true love crush. Are younot embarrassed by your public infatuation with Pogi? Not surprising you keep hiding a new alias every time you get banned, must be so tiring.
Andrew07-07-2026 - > UAE have three riders inside the top five overall, with Pogacar leading, Del Toro fourth and Ayuso fifth Ah, yes. Ayuso may have donned a different team jersey, but he never left UAE. UAE is in his heart no matter where he goes.
KerisVroom07-07-2026 - Well, as I already said in reply to you, he's not riding for GC this tour so he's probably intentionally shipping some time so he can get in the breaks.antipodeanpedalfan07-07-2026
- For once I agree with you. That 'You like the glory, don't you' line would have been derided in any other sport. And as Pog said, every rider dreams of that. Jonas seemed to enjoy being feted in Denmark after his Tour wins, and why shouldn't he. Top athletes shouldn't be shamed for that.Hills3307-07-2026
- More likely dreaming of retirement now!Hills3307-07-2026
- What about Pogi's interview yesterday, after the race. The BS french interviewer right after the finish asking Pogi: "you're hungry?" and "do you like the glory?" to which Pogi replied: "I want to go ride the rollers now"... translation: "GFY" ("Go f* yourself"). The problem with the french journalist is, Pogi isn't like Lance; he is well-liked by the peloton. So they don't have the juicy story to tell. The french TdF media just want to make up a conspiracy theory. I'm tired of reading/listening to stupid interviews. Why don't they ask something more substantial? It's a race. The goal of racing is winning. Whether it's a stage, the overall, the sprint or whatever. Suddenly, when Pogi wins a stage, he commits a mortal sin. As a fan, I want to see the best rider wipe out everyone. It's up to his rival to make him earn every single win. Maybe they need to start making themselves more versatile instead of just focusing on losing weight and having boring races. This is partly the reason why Pogi looked so annoyed last year in the final week. He was sick, hurt his knee and on top of all that the media were asking him these dumb questions daily. How many times does he have to tell you that he's being payed to win races and he's obligated to finish off the work of the whole team. After his team worked for 100km in this stage what exactly is he supposed to do? Roll over and say: "well, you guys can have this win, I'm just gonna chill here." Idiots...mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales07-07-2026
- The BS french interviewer right after the finish telling Pogi "you're hungry" and "you like the glory" to which Pogi replied "I want to go ride the rollers now"... translation "GFY ("Go f* yourself"**). The problem with the french journalist now is, Pogi isn't like Lance; he is well-liked by the peloton. So they don't have the juicy story to tell. The french TdF media just made up a conspiracy theory. I'm tired of reading/listening to stupid interviews. Why don't they ask something more substantial? It's a race. The goal of racing is winning. Whether it's a stage, the overall, the sprint or whatever. Suddenly, when Pogi wins a stage, he commits a mortal sin. As a fan, I want to see the best rider wipe out everyone. It's up to his rival to make him earn every single win. Maybe they need to start making themselves more versatile instead of just focusing on losing weight.mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales07-07-2026
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