"We are barely two stages in and Tadej Pogacar has already handed out a gift" - Is UAE a step ahead of a 'cracking' Vingegaard?
Cycling
The Tour de France is only two stages in but the top positions in the overall classification are filled out by only the strongest of climbers in the field. The stage 2 finale in Barcelona was rather selective and saw Isaac del Toro take the win ahead of a celebrating Tadej Pogacar. Was this a sign of what's to come later in the Tour?
A crack in Jonas Vingegaard?
Stage 2, with the strong heat, vibrant crowds in Barcelona and a hattrick of ascents up the steep Montjuic, saw UAE turn the finale into a race of attrition. However by the time the final ascent came, the Emirati team stayed in the wheels. The plan all along seemed to be to deliver a win, but not with the KOM jersey wearer.
Instead, an incredible descent from Del Toro saw him enter the final 600-meter long uphill ramp with a small gap over Jonas Vingegaard, however the Mexican outright distanced the Dane in the sprint finale. He was able to take the win, with Tadej Pogacar controlling their competition behind. The desire to help the Mexican national champion take the biggest win of his career has been achieved.
But right after the stage, the communication between rivals quickly began. "What struck me is that Pogacar went to Vingegaard first. And a little later, Gianetti also went to have a quick chat with Vingegaard while he was on the rollers. That is part of psychological warfare," Marc Sergeant pointed out in words to Het Nieuwsblad.
Jonas Vingegaard maintained the yellow jersey, but his gap to Pogacar is of a mere 6 seconds whilst Del Toro himself is also only 16 seconds away from the race lead. It is a lead that does not assure any safety, specially with two rivals that were superior on their first head-to-head.
"I saw a small crack in Vingegaard. He couldn't close the gap with Del Toro anymore, after which Pogacar positioned himself in front of Vingegaard to keep the door shut and potentially intervene if necessary."
UAE Team Emirates - XRG dominated the finale of stage 2 at the Tour de France
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Pogacar's 'gifted' win
Pogacar looked to have the legs to take the stage win, but not the need. In fact, Sergeant argues that much like he's done with other teammates, it was a deliberate plan to ensure the happiness and loyalty of the man who may be his most important supporter for the next three weeks.
"And then you also see how happy Pogacar can be. He seems to enjoy his teammates' victories more than his own. You saw that last year when Tim Wellens won, and you saw it again now with Del Toro."
Pogacar's celebration at the finish and by the team bus - waving the Mexican flag and even recording a video with the chanting crowds - showed similar happiness to that of the Visma team on day one. Both teams have struck psychological blows to each other, but recency bias would favour the defending champion's team as the race heads out of Catalunya - and Spain altogether.
"We are barely two stages in and Tadej Pogacar has already handed out a gift. And what a gift it was. A present already. I have never seen anything like this," the former team manager argues. "You can hand out a gift by letting a teammate ride away. But this was truly custom work; in the last hundred meters, he looked more behind him than ahead."
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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