"Why wouldn't they want to go for it really?" - Adam Blythe hits back at UAE criticism after Pogacar victory and yellow jersey
CyclingTuesday, 07 July 2026 at 09:52
Tadej pogacar took his first stage win of the 2026 Tour de France with a decisive uphill finish victory on Monday's stage 3. After UAE Team Emirates - XRG controlled the stage, the Slovenian goes into the yellow jersey.
Outsprinting rivals Jonas Vingegaard, Paul Seixas and Remco Evenepoel among other contenders, Pogacar made it two stage wins in a row after he helped Isaac del Toro to a stunning stage 2 win.
Despite jubilant celebrations among the Emirati team, there was some notable frustration among teams and riders who had hoped for a breakaway battle as the race crossed into France.
Despite a parcours favouring attackers, UAE had all eyes on the stage and thus the yellow jersey - with Pogacar and Vingegaard now level on time, the Slovenian takes yellow due to better stage placings so far.
Read also
Blythe can't understand UAE criticism
As analysts digested the result and reaction, Adam Blythe couldn't understand criticism levelled at UAE for going for a stage win when it was on for Pogacar.
"You have to question, why wouldn't they want to go for it really?," Blythe said on TNT Sports after stage 3.
"They've got such a strong team, they've got two of the strongest riders within this race. They can use eachother brilliantly. Tadej can pick and choose relatively what stages he wants to go for. There's a Tour de France stage up for grabs, why wouldn't you want to go for it?"
When it comes to taking the yellow jersey and all the other responsibilities that come with such as media interviews and doping control, Blythe believes it's second nature to Pogacar.
Pogacar in yellow after win
"That man spent more time doing that than he has not doing the other side of it. He's more than used to it, he's well equipped for it," Blythe said.
But Blythe argued that it made perfect sense for UAE to attack stage 3, noting that they were simply doing what every other team would do in that situation, with one glaring difference: they have Pogacar.
Read also
He continued: "There's a point in here, I'm guilty of it as well, we think too much about this yellow jersey - keeping it for too long. If there's one man, one team, it's them. From start of the race - from stage 1 if they had it - all the way and through to the end."
He concluded: "I just think they're looking at it from, as 90 percent of the teams do in this race. 'This is the Tour de France, we want to win a stage. If there's a stage that suits us, grab it with both hands and go for it'. They're doing exactly that, but they have Tadej."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
claps 2visitors 2
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I don't know who is worse, De Lie or Cian Uijtdebroeksmij07-07-2026
- Remco has always looked sharp for 1st 10 stages, it is what happens in the 3rd mountain stage where he collapses.abstractengineer07-07-2026
- Yes Weather experts predict the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) during Stage 4 of the Tour de France could reach peaks between 30° C and 33° C. The index calculates heat stress by measuring ambient temperature, humidity, wind, and solar radiation. This stage falls into the UCI’s "Red Zone" (extreme high risk) because it exceeds 28° CJakob07-07-2026
- I should point out that the world cup is going beautifully in the USA and nobody is hating it. Trump may be an idiot, but he is our problem, not yours. And regarding Israeli behavior, explain to us how Europe made the creation of modern Isreali state a necessity?? I thought so.dave07-07-2026
- Not bad at all for what is considered his weak point. With him being in the leanest condition ever, he should really excel in the high mountains when the gc contenders are isolated.
Front24207-07-2026 - Y A W N. How old are you? You sound like a teenage girl in the midst of her first true love crush. Are younot embarrassed by your public infatuation with Pogi? Not surprising you keep hiding a new alias every time you get banned, must be so tiring.
Andrew07-07-2026 - > UAE have three riders inside the top five overall, with Pogacar leading, Del Toro fourth and Ayuso fifth Ah, yes. Ayuso may have donned a different team jersey, but he never left UAE. UAE is in his heart no matter where he goes.
KerisVroom07-07-2026 - Well, as I already said in reply to you, he's not riding for GC this tour so he's probably intentionally shipping some time so he can get in the breaks.antipodeanpedalfan07-07-2026
- For once I agree with you. That 'You like the glory, don't you' line would have been derided in any other sport. And as Pog said, every rider dreams of that. Jonas seemed to enjoy being feted in Denmark after his Tour wins, and why shouldn't he. Top athletes shouldn't be shamed for that.Hills3307-07-2026
- More likely dreaming of retirement now!Hills3307-07-2026
Loading
Write a comment