UAE DS on Pogacar's Fleche Wallonne return: "He does not have to make the race again from 50 kilometers to the finish"
Cycling
Behind many of Tadej Pogacar's wins this years is a long solo attack and a story to go along with it. At Amstel Gold Race he attempted to do so once again, but this time it did not work out and he was beaten by Mattias Skjelmose in the final sprint. UAE Team Emirates - XRG DS has warned the World Champion against doing the same at Flèche Wallonne.
“In any case, he still needs a strong incentive on Wednesday or Thursday to be completely ready for Liège-Bastogne-Liège. So yes, he will ride the Flèche Wallonne. But he does not have to make the race again from 50 kilometers to the finish or necessarily win".
The Italian manager is behind the wheel throughout much of Pogacar's season, however at Amstel he saw how this aggressive tactic of the Slovenian can backfire. Some have argued that he did not need to be present at Flèche Wallonne and instead recover towards Liège-Bastogne-Liège where it seems like he will not have an easy task, Gianetti instead approaches the mid-week classic triying to put as least pressure as possible on his leader.
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"He rides because he wants to, but it is not a must. We also have other riders in the team who are suitable for a race like the Fleche Wallonne," Gianetti said in a podcast for RTBF. Realistically however, the team will work for Pogacar, who continues to be the main favourite for the ascent to the Mur de Huy.
Fatigue wise, there seems to be no concern at the moment: “We are not worried, because we knew that recovering from the fatigue after Paris-Roubaix would be the hardest part. But in the end we saw in the Amstel that his form was good.” Ultimately this comes as a result of the option to do only one stage-race this season (the UAE Tour, already two months ago, skipping the main ones).
“After Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Tadej will have thirteen days of racing under his belt since the start of the season. They are all big races, of course — races that he always rides in his own way: with spectacle, with dedication. But the Flèche Wallonne simply fits well into the program.”
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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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- lol yeah. this is a good onemij12-11-2026
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- he's too young. he's 23, so not really a fair call yet.mij12-11-2026
- and don't forget Pidcock's departure. maybe he will never win a GT, but he knows how to light up a race.mij12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was going to say a 12 year obsessed Pogi fan girlie ! Like she's chasing a teen boy band! All glossy eyed about tadej!frieders312-11-2026
- That stint in the Pink was so good. If memory serves he struggled with the champagne cuz he'd never been on the podium before. I feel like it gave him some self-belief, and yeah - then the move to Visma to be one of their lieutenants has really brought him to the best version of himself.wrsty12-11-2026
- So, you never really compared Paul Seixas with his main rival Isaac Del Toro why jump to Pogačar? They've (Paul & Isaac) raced together here and there, and they've both shared in wins and losses, I think they should be compared to each other, even with Vingegaard and Remco first before even touching Pogačar. From your writing it's like he's better than Vingegaard, Remco and Del Toro already that his main target is now Pogačar 🤔Sadick11-11-2026
- gee i hope its a minor injury. a great rider and ambassador for the sport. get well soon Lucinda.
Davide11-11-2026 - some of lidl-treks retention and recruiting has been puzzling in the mens and womens teams.
Davide11-11-2026 - Yeah his ride at World's was unreal. Over 6 W/kg for over an hour and a half...he single handedly destroyed the break.DAS11-11-2026
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