“They’re going to risk their lives” – The Move podcast analyses Pogacar’s level at the Tour de France
Cycling
In the latest episode of The Move podcast, Lance
Armstrong, Sir Bradley Wiggins, George Hincapie, and Spencer Martin gathered to
break down Stage 7 of the Tour de France, a day that saw more than just racing
tactics unfold. Once again though, it was Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates –
XRG who came out on top.
“This is going to sound like a broken record. Tadej Pogacar,
ladies and gentlemen, won another stage of the Tour de France,” Armstrong said,
underscoring the Slovenian's 101st professional win.
The win, Pogacar’s 19th at the Tour de France,
leaves the world champion firmly in control of the 2025 edition of the race.
Whilst Vingegaard was able to sprint with him, the story was the same as it has
been most of the first week: the Dane could not come around Pogacar.
Still, there were signs of shifting dynamics. A crash
involving João Almeida disrupted UAE’s plans and left Pogacar riding without
one of his strongest lieutenants. “I think there had to be a rethink of the
plan when they heard Almeida had crashed,” Wiggins observed. Martin added,
“With the Almeida crash, there’s no Plan B.”
Almeida has been crucial for Pogacar in week one, and the Portuguese
rider has won three stages himself this year. Not only was he a genuine podium
threat prior to the crash, but he is also supposed to support Pogacar at the
Vuelta a Espana later this summer. Will his injuries (a fractured rib and hand
injury) affect that?
Despite that, the group agreed that Pogacar showed maturity
by holding back rather than launching a solo attack. “We’re seeing Pogacar grow
up before our eyes,” Martin said.
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Yet Wiggins saw something else: an opportunity for Jonas
Vingegaard. “Jonas looked good today. Let’s just hold on to that,” Armstrong
noted, hoping the Dane’s performance would inject life into a Tour that is
starting to look one-sided.
And what of Sepp Kuss, Vingegaard’s teammate and longtime
mountain engine? “Let’s not discount him just yet,” said Wiggins. “This Tour is
long… we’ll get a true reflection of where Sepp is on Monday.” Armstrong added,
“It’s tough to do three grand tours. Those can be career-affecting.”
Meanwhile, Geraint Thomas, the winner of the 2018 Tour, made
a strong move into the breakaway. “You’re there, and you think, ‘What am I
doing here?’” Armstrong recalled from his own twilight years in the peloton.
“But G is a class act.”
A brutal crash in the final kilometers caught the crew’s
attention. “That was hard to watch… Lenny Martinez didn’t know up from down,”
Armstrong said.
There was some levity amid the race breakdown. Armstrong
couldn’t help but marvel at a massive lawn art tribute to Bernard Hinault.
“This is unbelievable… I’ve spent 30 years watching Tour coverage, castles,
creeks, hay bales. This is the greatest I’ve ever seen.”
Still, the tension lingers for what lies ahead. “The levels
are getting higher, the gaps are smaller in the big mountains and larger in the
small climbs,” said Martin. “Guys are getting tired,” added Hincapie. “You hit
Mur de Bretagne and think, ‘No way should 25 guys be left after one climb.’ But
there were.”
Mathieu van der Poel was once of the big names that was
dropped, and the podcast believes that was a result of him being so active in
the race on just about every day so far.
As Stage 8 looms, the sprinters prepare to gamble it all.
“They’re going to risk their lives to win a stage,” Hincapie warned, as the
sprinters finally get their first opportunity since stage 2. “If it was me, I’d
be looking at tomorrow and the next day going, ‘Shit, man. I hope we get
through this.’”
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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