Despite potential Grand Tour contenders in their own right such as
Adam Yates and Joao Almeida among the team, there is only one leader within UAE says Matxin. “We’ve aimed to strike the most balanced team possible – a homogeneous unit built around Tadej, with the clear objective of defending his chances," he explains. "Almeida is in fantastic form too, and we’re looking to be competitive right from Stage One.”
And in their Slovenian leader, UAE are backing one of the biggest superstars in cycling history. “Tadej is in excellent form. He’s been strong for a very long time. He’s trained and worked hard, the team is ready, and we’re heading into the Tour looking to avoid unnecessary tension, crashes, nerves – anything that isn’t purely about the racing,” Matxin assesses of his leader.
As mentioned however, Pogacar is far from the only rider coming to the Grand Depart with ambitions of taking home the Maillot Jaune. “The other riders are coming in strong –
Remco Evenepoel,
Jonas Vingegaard… We’re in for a great Tour, and we hope it proves as exciting as the rivalry suggests," Matxin concludes. "Vingegaard may be the main threat, but as I always say, no one should be discounted.”