The 2025 Tour de France has been just as much a
psychological battle as a physical one, especially between UAE Team Emirates –
XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike. After five straight years of Tour wins split
between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, their rivalry has developed a
sharper edge, and the animosity has spilled beyond the road and into post-stage
interviews. There is a lot of respect between the top two, but we are seeing
more comments between Vingegaard’s teammates and Pogacar than usual.
Vingegaard himself is usually quiet, respectful, and avoids brash talking. Whilst Pogacar is also a respectful champion, he has not been afraid to question his rival' team tactics during the Tour.
On Sunday, following a stage where Pogacar’s teammate Tim
Wellens won, he made a pointed remark about his rival. “If I were in Jonas’
situation, I wouldn’t be the happiest at the dinner table tonight,” he told
Danish broadcaster TV2.
Wout van Aert wasn’t about to let that go unchallenged.
“It’s quite funny that Tadej says that, because he clearly
wanted eventual stage winner Tim Wellens in the breakaway, so they were
essentially doing the same thing,” Van Aert fired back, speaking to Het
Nieuwsblad. His response underscores Visma’s frustration with what they see as
double standards in UAE’s tactics.
Van Aert didn’t stop there. “And there was a very easy
solution. Our group was 25 riders strong, and everyone in there wanted to get
into the breakaway. So if Tadej had simply dropped back down to the peloton
where Jonas was, he would have shown real sportsmanship. Now he’s complaining
about something that isn’t there.”
That’s the sharpest tone yet from one of Visma’s senior
riders, and he wasn't finished. “I also noticed that Matteo wasn’t given any
space,” Van Aert added. “Maybe Tadej hasn’t noticed yet that Matteo has already
lost half an hour in the general classification. Someone should tell him that.”
Perhaps Van Aert is simply sticking up for Vingegaard and his team, or perhaps he has had enough of Pogacar's comments about his team. But will the action now spill out onto the road?
What’s clear is that the UAE–Visma rivalry has matured into
something personal. These aren’t just tactical disagreements or
heat-of-the-moment quotes, there's a tone of disdain and mutual suspicion now
driving the narrative. Both teams have controlled the Tour for years, but in
2025, things seem to be reaching a boiling point.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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