Trouble at UAE - Tadej Pogacar loses important mountain domestique to illness at the Tour de France
Cycling
The Tour de France is a race that can change overnight, and Brandon McNulty has experienced that first hand. UAE Team Emirates - XRG has just lost one of its most important domestiques to illness at the Tour, as the team's mountain block disintegrates around Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro.
Brandon McNulty withdraws from the Tour de France
On stage 17, Adam Yates looked to be in immense trouble to finish the stage. It was revealed after the matter that the Briton had been suffering from gastrointestinal problems, which have made it very difficult for him to eat and absorb nutrients. Luckily, the Briton didn't encounter a mountainous finale, and was aided by Tim Wellens to reach the finish.
However whilst Yates' health looks to have improved overnight, the opposite happened to the other rider that had been leading the yellow and white jersey in the mountains: Brandon McNulty.
Early on stage 18 the American rider was dropped, creating a lot of worries over his health status. The fight to stay at the Tour de France became too costly, specially as the UAE rider crossed the intermediate sprint isolated and minutes behind the closest riders.
McNulty left the race throughout the stage, leaving UAE with seven riders.

Brandon McNulty at the 2026 Tour de France
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Will Pogacar and Del Toro go into the queen stage without support?
Adam Yates also struggled during stage 18 and the team, without Brandon McNulty and with a sick Tim Wellens, finds itself very reduced in terms of firepower. More specifically, its the team's climbing men that have been affected the most.
Felix Grosschartner remains in the race and his role may become ever more important for the two team leaders, but the Austrian rider also crashed together with Jonas Vingegaard on stage 15 and might not have his very best level.
Stages 19 and 20 of the Tour will finish on the Alpe d'Huez, and the lack of firepower available may see the Emirati team change its tactics into the final mountain stages.

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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.
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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)...
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whkman23-07-20263
"lackofmicrodosing-itis"
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- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
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