"The Tour de France isn't a calculator" - Gianetti confirms Pogacar's good form but not overconfidence
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar is using the Tour de Suisse to prepare his Tour de France participation and he has been confirming his great form. Over the opening two stages, he has been ruling over the race, whilst UAE Team Emirates - XRG's block looks ready for the Tour as well. Team DS Mauro Gianetti has shared his thoughts after the Slovenian's masterful opening stage win.
"The team is working well, we are making progress, and our riders are in good condition. Joxean Matxin will decide who goes to the Tour," Gianetti shared with In de Leiderstrui. Despite having previously confirmed himself that the Tour de France was not in his plans, somehow João Almeida emerged as a name that is a possibility from the words of Gianetti - although he does add that it is an unlikely scenario.
"João Almeida seems to be the only question mark. He has not recovered well from a virus, so we do not expect him in July. His recovery is more important, and the rest of the team is in good shape".
Only Adam Yates' recovery and build-up provide questions towards UAE's lineup for the Tour de France, with Felix Grossschartner showing his good form in Suisse as well. The Emirati team is not alone in this scenario however, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike also having to replace Wout Van Aert and Christophe Laporte from their originally planned lineup.
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Pogacar confirms training form
Approaching Suisse, Tadej Pogacar was in good form. But the team needed to be assured that this would translate to results on the road. "We know the numbers from training, but when you pin a number on someone, you still look for confirmation".
On stage 1, a solo attack of around 70 kilometers was good evidence of that, sealing the overall classification right from the first day. "It wasn't the plan to attack from so far out, but we did want to control the race. We wanted to win and take the leader's jersey, and test our form. But he went already".
"We knew it wasn't an ideal day to try something, but this race is only five days long, so we wanted to seize our opportunities," Gianetti explained. "Tadej was happy with his effort on a hot and challenging day. I think he found all the answers he was looking for".
Pogacar crossing the finish line on stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse
Tour de France-ready Pogacar in Suisse already?
"It was what it was, and Tadej ultimately does what he has done before. He took the situation as it was. In the group behind, there was some gambling going on, of course. Tadej is an asset to the sport because he always puts on a show. He gives something to the people and doesn't just win, he wins with panache. We are seeing something special, and the riders in the peloton know that too. They have respect for Tadej.'
Stage 2 saw a Pogacar that was visibly focused on the health of his partner Urska Zigart who suffered a serious crash earlier in the day and was diagnosed with a broken jaw. In the finale he looked to support teammate Jhonatan Narváez in the pursuit of a result but ultimately the Ecuadorian did not have the legs. Pogacar attacked the final climb of the day and rode to the finish together with Mathias Vacek, thus extending his lead.
Every sign points towards a Pogacar reaching his very best level once again, with a time trial and high mountain stage still remaining in the race to test his form. But despite this, the team will not grow overconfident, knowing the quality of their rivals.
"The Tour de France isn't a calculator," Gianetti assures. "The level is very good right now, but we need to see Tadej in the Tour first. He has another three weeks there to grow. Jonas Vingegaard? He knows exactly who Tadej is, and he works hard to be his best self. But so do we".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- 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
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- 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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