"The collective mastery between him, Isaac Del Toro, and the whole team" - Gianetti heaps praise on Tadej Pogacar and UAE squad after Tour de France victory
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates - XRG CEO Mauro Gianetti took in the emotions in Paris on Sunday after his team sealed a Tour de France yellow jersey, white jersey and two riders on the final podium.
A dominant Tour de France saw the team take six stage wins - five for Tadej Pogacar and one for Isaac del Toro. Battling illness and injuries in week two and three, the Emirati squad fought with their backs against the wall to secure a fifth Pogacar La Grand Boucle triumph.
With Pogacar's grip on yellow sealed on stage 6 thanks to a flying Col du Tourmalet effort from the Slovenian, the team managed to keep Isaac del Toro in the white jersey for best young rider and third place as the dust settled in the French capital.
"It was a special Tour thanks to the great maturity shown this year by Tadej Pogacar, but also the collective mastery between him, Isaac Del Toro, and the whole team," Gianetti told Cyclism'Actu.
Noting a day when Adam Yates and Tim Merlier banded together in the face of an illness, the two riders fought to make the time-cut on what would have been on paper a simple day if well. Gianetti underlined that cycling is very much a team sport, despite having individual winners.
Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team EMirates - XRG at the 2026 Tour de France
Gianetti praises Wellens and Yates performance
"For example, the day Tim Wellens stopped to wait for Adam Yates was something very touching for me. Seeing all the guys in the morning on the bus, motivating each other, focusing, wanting and enjoying the suffering together.
"You know, cycling is an extraordinary sport because only one rider wins, but there's a whole team working towards that victory."
The Swiss UAE chief claimed Pogacar carries the dreams of their 150 staff and riders, and seeing their success and commoraderie is what gives him the most joy.
"Each of the 150 team members, from staff to riders, has their own dreams, and ultimately, they all place their dreams in Tadej's hands.
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Tadej Pogacar praise
"Cycling is an example for everyone, for other sports and for society: we all work together toward a goal, and if we can't achieve it personally, we do it for someone else. What I see every morning in the team truly fills me with pride."
Pogacar's maiden Tour win in 2020 remains his favourite memory, but Gianetti says the 2026 edition will live long in his memory.
He added: "For me, the first one remains the most beautiful because it arrived in such a spectacular way. But it's true that this year, beyond the result and the stage wins, the image of friendship, the support between our riders and the desire to work together convey a message that goes far beyond stage successes."
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 get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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