"While Vingegaard is our main rival on paper, you must never rule anyone out" - Matxin insists Tadej Pogacar & UAE won't be complacent at Tour de France

Tadej Pogacar enters the 2025 Tour de France as the defending champion, the Rainbow Jersey and the bookies' pre-race favourite. Despite the Slovenian being widely considered the man to beat however, UAE Team Emirates - XRG boss Joxean Matxin insists the team won't be getting complacent.

Key to any success at the Tour de France, is team strength. In the form of UAE Team Emirates - XRG's 2025 lineup, Pogacar can count on some very strong support. “It’s essentially the same team as last year, with the exception of Juan Ayuso, who’s been replaced by Jhonatan Narváez," Matxin analyses in conversation with Mundo Deportivo. 

"When you’ve got a group that works well together and performs at a high level, the best thing is to keep it together," continues Matxin. "We chose Narváez because Juan rode the Giro d’Italia, and Narváez is one of the best in the world when it comes to flat stages.”

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.”