{"id":2042918,"date":"2026-07-14T08:25:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T05:25:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2042918"},"modified":"2026-07-14T08:25:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T05:25:20","slug":"i-cant-understand-why-uae-team-emirates-xrg-are-riding-so-much-but-pogacar-is-so-good-that-he-will-correct-any-mistakes-in-the-alps-sean-kellys-tour-column","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2042918","title":{"rendered":"I can&#8217;t understand why UAE Team Emirates-XRG are riding so much, but Poga\u010dar is so good that he will correct any mistakes in the Alps &#8211; Sean Kelly&#8217;s Tour column"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-2000-80.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>I can&#8217;t understand why UAE Team Emirates-XRG are riding so much, but Poga\u010dar is so good that he will correct any mistakes in the Alps &#8211; Sean Kelly&#8217;s Tour column<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\" data-component-name=\"Article:Hero:KiosqPaywallLabels\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><br \/>\nMEMBER EXCLUSIVE<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"vds-byline-block flex flex-row flex-nowrap my-1.5 gap-2 text-left items-start justify-center mx-auto max-sm:text-center max-sm:items-center\" data-component-name=\"Article:BylineBlock\">\n<p>Features<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-auto vds-simple-byline\"><span class=\"inline-block vds-author\"><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nSean Kelly <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex gap-1 vds-byline-with-avatar__meta max-sm:justify-center\"><span class=\"vds-date block font-normal tracking-normal normal-case text-xs\"><br \/>\nPublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-07-14T08:25:20Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n14 July 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">The five-time stage winner reflects on the Tour de France&#8217;s first week, UAE Team Emirates-XRG&#8217;s questionable tactics, and the hot conditions baking the peloton<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 flex items-center mx-0 my-5 p-0 justify-center text-center\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[color:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit)] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-2000-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1600-80.png.webp 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-750-80.png.webp 750w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"font-article-copy text-(--image--text--color) font-article-copy mt-2\"><span class=\"caption-text font-article-copy\">UAE Team Emirates-XRG have been the strongest team in the race, but are they doing too much?<\/span><span class=\"credit font-article-copy\">(Image credit: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-ed4a1a9a-7f55-11f1-b96b-6985c437ce3c\">As the peloton rolls out for the second week of the Tour de France, the question on many riders&#8217; and fans&#8217; lips will be whether UAE Team Emirates-XRG can sustain their stranglehold over the peloton. As a team, they&#8217;re riding so well, and thanks to Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s early exploits in the Pyrenees, there seems to be very little pressure on their shoulders. But is that a good way to race Le Tour?<\/p>\n<p>There are still two weeks to go, and if you happen to lose a rider or two to sickness or crashes, you quickly find yourself with a smaller squad and the remaining riders fatigued from their earlier efforts. There are often times when you could question the team management&#8217;s decisions when they&#8217;re out on the road, what are they doing this for, or why are they chasing this? But when Poga\u010dar is as good as he is at the moment, you can maybe make those little mistakes because he can correct everything later on.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-ed4a1a9a-7f55-11f1-b96b-6985c437ce3c-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">From my experience, in a three-week race, you have to be conservative in the first week, and in this Tour, the same applies to the second week, given the mountains awaiting them in the last few days of this year&#8217;s route. The third week is also when fatigue can really start to set in amongst the riders, especially so considering the hot conditions this year \u2013 you just don&#8217;t know the effect it&#8217;s going to have come the Alps. UAE Team Emirates-XRG&#8217;s domestiques are making efforts and controlling stages, riding at the front when they don&#8217;t really have to do it. But they&#8217;re by far the stronger team compared to Visma-Lease a Bike, and are riding so well.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Of course, their motives aren&#8217;t always completely clear. Take Sunday&#8217;s stage for example, UAE were keeping the breakaway on a really tight leash, and there were a lot of teams, and commentators too, for that matter, asking &#8216;What are you doing here, riding on the front? Are you going for the stage win or just controlling?&#8217;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-aedab2dc-7f5b-11f1-8746-8342d092de6f\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">UAE riding on the front during stage 9 on Sunday <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-aedab34a-7f5b-11f1-8e29-2105e9754e03\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Speaking from experience, when riders who know each other go and ask these kinds of questions, they&#8217;ll get an answer, but it&#8217;s never a straight one. UAE probably said they were going to &#8216;control&#8217; on Sunday, but what does that really mean? Does it mean you just want to control the time limit for Poga\u010dar&#8217;s GC rivals, or do you want to control the stage outcome?<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Given the way the Slovenian is riding, I expect this next week of medium mountain stages to possess the best opportunities for the breakaway. I say this because, come next weekend and into the third week, UAE will control and target those high mountain days. For the breakaway, those sorts of stages will be difficult to dictate. In years gone by, they would have offered great chances when the GC contenders stayed in the bunch, and those who got up the road would typically do battle for the day&#8217;s honours. But, with the way UAE are riding, you can make a massive effort to get in the break, alongside some other top climbers, but they might only give you two minutes because Poga\u010dar wants to ride for the win. I think we&#8217;re going to see a lot of that. So the opportunities lie on those transitional, medium-mountain stages for riders who want to win via the break.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"searing-heat-seixas-steady-start-and-netcompany-ineos-conundrum-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Searing heat, Seixas&#8217; steady start, and Netcompany-Ineos&#8217; conundrum<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-02ae7968-7f5a-11f1-b72f-1701a59a658b\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Perhaps the only thing more relentless than UAE Team Emirates-XRG so far this Tour de France has been the high temperatures across Spain and France. It&#8217;s been a challenge for riders, and naturally, the race organisers too. What can they do, though? Suggestions to start stages early in the morning, to avoid the hottest part of the day, will almost certainly face pushback from broadcasters wanting the stages to finish in the evening when the viewership is highest.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s definitely becoming a problem, and answers aren&#8217;t clear to see, unless you move the Tour away from July, which again organisers wouldn&#8217;t want to do because July is Tour de France time, it&#8217;s holiday season around Europe, and what makes the race so great is the spectators lining the roads day after day, mountains covered with spectators.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Unfortunately, it feels like one of those issues where a rider has to get sunstroke and subsequently crash before change or a solution is found with any urgency.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy-box kiosq-b\" id=\"elk-d600620c-7f61-11f1-b3a0-9ff1cedafd69\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"fancy_box-title\">More Tour columns<\/div>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-2560-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images\/Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Don&#8217;t be surprised by Poga\u010dar&#8217;s early dominance, history shows it&#8217;s how every serial Tour de France winner succeeds &#8211; Philippa York analysis<\/li>\n<li>In this extreme heat there&#8217;s less room to hide, it&#8217;s like you&#8217;re at altitude and some riders adapt better than others &#8211; Matej Mohori\u010d&#8217;s Tour de France diary<\/li>\n<li>Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s dominance will open up the race and give us more opportunities &#8211; Luke Plapp&#8217;s Tour de France diary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-d6006284-7f61-11f1-a463-d9f3fb20e5a9\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">While riding in hot weather isn&#8217;t necessarily anything new, I&#8217;ve rarely seen such a prolonged period at the Tour. I remember the 1989 and 1990 Tours, we were riding near Marseille with the temperature at 40\u00b0C and essentially just had bidons of water to keep us cool, ice socks hadn&#8217;t made it into the peloton by this point, and I suspect several riders lost time because of the heat. We didn&#8217;t have the support from neutral service and team cars as they do now, with fridges full of bottles on the back of a motorbike, so it was just a case of constantly pouring water over our heads.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">However, you only got that for one or two days before the weather broke; the spells of hot conditions have certainly got longer over the last couple of years. So teams have to do more to keep riders cool, with more personnel, bottles, and cooling equipment to ensure their guys don&#8217;t suffer or lose out due to overheating.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In terms of riders and teams that were coming in with expectations, Paul Seixas was one of the biggest talking points coming into this Tour, and I think he&#8217;s performing well so far. The team were obviously hoping for him to be able to keep pace with Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard, but even though he&#8217;s slightly off that level at the moment, the third and final week is where his Tour will be determined. He may still struggle to keep up with the top two, but I can see him contending for the podium, and he&#8217;s very much a part of that conversation at the first rest day.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Meanwhile, Netcompany-Ineos, a team with Tour de France pedigree, have had a complex race so far. Their first objective of the team time trial, a stage they were favourites for alongside winners Visma-Lease a Bike, proved eight seconds out of reach, and I feel that had it turned out differently, it might have calmed the ship and changed how they raced the opening week. Obviously, losing Oscar Onley, and with him their GC hopes, was a big blow, so they&#8217;ve had to adapt their team, but neither Dorian Godon nor K\u00e9vin Vauquelin look to be at their best level to compete in the sprints or breakaways at the minute.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-6374383a-7f5c-11f1-9593-9db9daa104f3\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Filippo Ganna beats Mads Pedersen in the sprint for minor places <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-637438a8-7f5c-11f1-b3d9-951af77e2c82\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Former Tour winner Egan Bernal is the best-placed Netcompany-Ineos rider in the overall standings, currently in 10th spot, but I&#8217;m afraid he&#8217;s going to struggle to stay there as the race progresses, especially considering he&#8217;s already tackled the Giro this year, too.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Sunday&#8217;s stage also saw them riding on the front for Filippo Ganna, something I was quite surprised by in the commentary booth. Yes, he managed to grab fifth in the sprint for the minor placings, but had it been for the win, I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;d have ranked as highly.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But such is the case at the Tour, and this doesn&#8217;t just apply to Netcompany-Ineos. Teams will try everything and anything to do well there, whether it be their solitary moment of success or their seventh stage win, even if you find yourself questioning their tactics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block mb-5\" id=\"articleTag\" data-component-name=\"PostArticleLinks\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"post-article-links\">\n<div class=\"border-b border-b-black border-solid py-2.5 text-black font-bold uppercase\">TOPICS<\/div>\n<nav class=\"py-2.5 flex gap-2.5 flex-wrap\" data-analytics-id=\"article-tag\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-tag\">\n<p>Premium Columns<\/p>\n<p>Premium In-Depth Racing<\/p>\n<p>Road<\/p>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-VZo7WTTtopdJj4cRbnwWEk\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-VZo7WTTtopdJj4cRbnwWEk slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Sean Kelly<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>&#8220;King Kelly&#8221;, the greatest Irish cyclist to have graced the peloton, brought the Emerald Isle to the fore alongside compatriot Stephen Roche in the 1980s. Points winner at the Tour de France four times, GC in the 1988 Vuelta, and a record-breaking seven consecutive wins at Paris-Nice feature during his glittering career \u2013 alongside double victories at Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo and Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"relative max-w-[1070px] viafoura-twig-component mt-6 mx-4 lg:mx-0\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class=&apos;vfcustom-community-guidelines&apos;&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1 rounded-b-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-lg!\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-sm!\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;It could be a lot worse&#8217; \u2013 Jonas Vingegaard sheds another 54 seconds to Tadej Poga\u010dar on stage 10 as Tour de France lead gets further away<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Tour de France: Tadej Poga\u010dar shreds the field in the Massif Central to extend GC lead and claim stage 10<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson crash on Tour de France descent of Puy Mary<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Mini breakthrough&#8217; for Christopher Blevins in Pal Arinsal MTB World Series after return from injury<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Early sprint stage win for Decathlon &#8216;takes a huge amount of pressure off&#8217; teenage leader Paul Seixas in second half of Tour de France<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>I can&#8217;t understand why UAE Team Emirates-XRG are riding so much, but Poga\u010dar is so good that he will correct any mistakes in the Alps &#8211; Sean Kelly&#8217;s Tour column<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\" data-component-name=\"Article:Hero:KiosqPaywallLabels\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><br \/>\nMEMBER EXCLUSIVE<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"vds-byline-block flex flex-row flex-nowrap my-1.5 gap-2 text-left items-start justify-center mx-auto max-sm:text-center max-sm:items-center\" data-component-name=\"Article:BylineBlock\">\n<p>Features<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-auto vds-simple-byline\"><span class=\"inline-block vds-author\"><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nSean Kelly <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex gap-1 vds-byline-with-avatar__meta max-sm:justify-center\"><span class=\"vds-date block font-normal tracking-normal normal-case text-xs\"><br \/>\nPublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-07-14T08:25:20Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n14 July 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">The five-time stage winner reflects on the Tour de France&#8217;s first week, UAE Team Emirates-XRG&#8217;s questionable tactics, and the hot conditions baking the peloton<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 flex items-center mx-0 my-5 p-0 justify-center text-center\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[color:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit)] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-2000-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1600-80.png.webp 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-750-80.png.webp 750w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"font-article-copy text-(--image--text--color) font-article-copy mt-2\"><span class=\"caption-text font-article-copy\">UAE Team Emirates-XRG have been the strongest team in the race, but are they doing too much?<\/span><span class=\"credit font-article-copy\">(Image credit: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-ed4a1a9a-7f55-11f1-b96b-6985c437ce3c\">As the peloton rolls out for the second week of the Tour de France, the question on many riders&#8217; and fans&#8217; lips will be whether UAE Team Emirates-XRG can sustain their stranglehold over the peloton. As a team, they&#8217;re riding so well, and thanks to Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s early exploits in the Pyrenees, there seems to be very little pressure on their shoulders. But is that a good way to race Le Tour?<\/p>\n<p>There are still two weeks to go, and if you happen to lose a rider or two to sickness or crashes, you quickly find yourself with a smaller squad and the remaining riders fatigued from their earlier efforts. There are often times when you could question the team management&#8217;s decisions when they&#8217;re out on the road, what are they doing this for, or why are they chasing this? But when Poga\u010dar is as good as he is at the moment, you can maybe make those little mistakes because he can correct everything later on.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-ed4a1a9a-7f55-11f1-b96b-6985c437ce3c-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">From my experience, in a three-week race, you have to be conservative in the first week, and in this Tour, the same applies to the second week, given the mountains awaiting them in the last few days of this year&#8217;s route. The third week is also when fatigue can really start to set in amongst the riders, especially so considering the hot conditions this year \u2013 you just don&#8217;t know the effect it&#8217;s going to have come the Alps. UAE Team Emirates-XRG&#8217;s domestiques are making efforts and controlling stages, riding at the front when they don&#8217;t really have to do it. But they&#8217;re by far the stronger team compared to Visma-Lease a Bike, and are riding so well.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Of course, their motives aren&#8217;t always completely clear. Take Sunday&#8217;s stage for example, UAE were keeping the breakaway on a really tight leash, and there were a lot of teams, and commentators too, for that matter, asking &#8216;What are you doing here, riding on the front? Are you going for the stage win or just controlling?&#8217;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-aedab2dc-7f5b-11f1-8746-8342d092de6f\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">UAE riding on the front during stage 9 on Sunday <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-aedab34a-7f5b-11f1-8e29-2105e9754e03\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Speaking from experience, when riders who know each other go and ask these kinds of questions, they&#8217;ll get an answer, but it&#8217;s never a straight one. UAE probably said they were going to &#8216;control&#8217; on Sunday, but what does that really mean? Does it mean you just want to control the time limit for Poga\u010dar&#8217;s GC rivals, or do you want to control the stage outcome?<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Given the way the Slovenian is riding, I expect this next week of medium mountain stages to possess the best opportunities for the breakaway. I say this because, come next weekend and into the third week, UAE will control and target those high mountain days. For the breakaway, those sorts of stages will be difficult to dictate. In years gone by, they would have offered great chances when the GC contenders stayed in the bunch, and those who got up the road would typically do battle for the day&#8217;s honours. But, with the way UAE are riding, you can make a massive effort to get in the break, alongside some other top climbers, but they might only give you two minutes because Poga\u010dar wants to ride for the win. I think we&#8217;re going to see a lot of that. So the opportunities lie on those transitional, medium-mountain stages for riders who want to win via the break.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"searing-heat-seixas-steady-start-and-netcompany-ineos-conundrum-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Searing heat, Seixas&#8217; steady start, and Netcompany-Ineos&#8217; conundrum<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-02ae7968-7f5a-11f1-b72f-1701a59a658b\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Perhaps the only thing more relentless than UAE Team Emirates-XRG so far this Tour de France has been the high temperatures across Spain and France. It&#8217;s been a challenge for riders, and naturally, the race organisers too. What can they do, though? Suggestions to start stages early in the morning, to avoid the hottest part of the day, will almost certainly face pushback from broadcasters wanting the stages to finish in the evening when the viewership is highest.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s definitely becoming a problem, and answers aren&#8217;t clear to see, unless you move the Tour away from July, which again organisers wouldn&#8217;t want to do because July is Tour de France time, it&#8217;s holiday season around Europe, and what makes the race so great is the spectators lining the roads day after day, mountains covered with spectators.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Unfortunately, it feels like one of those issues where a rider has to get sunstroke and subsequently crash before change or a solution is found with any urgency.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy-box kiosq-b\" id=\"elk-d600620c-7f61-11f1-b3a0-9ff1cedafd69\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"fancy_box-title\">More Tour columns<\/div>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-2560-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images\/Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Don&#8217;t be surprised by Poga\u010dar&#8217;s early dominance, history shows it&#8217;s how every serial Tour de France winner succeeds &#8211; Philippa York analysis<\/li>\n<li>In this extreme heat there&#8217;s less room to hide, it&#8217;s like you&#8217;re at altitude and some riders adapt better than others &#8211; Matej Mohori\u010d&#8217;s Tour de France diary<\/li>\n<li>Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s dominance will open up the race and give us more opportunities &#8211; Luke Plapp&#8217;s Tour de France diary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-d6006284-7f61-11f1-a463-d9f3fb20e5a9\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">While riding in hot weather isn&#8217;t necessarily anything new, I&#8217;ve rarely seen such a prolonged period at the Tour. I remember the 1989 and 1990 Tours, we were riding near Marseille with the temperature at 40\u00b0C and essentially just had bidons of water to keep us cool, ice socks hadn&#8217;t made it into the peloton by this point, and I suspect several riders lost time because of the heat. We didn&#8217;t have the support from neutral service and team cars as they do now, with fridges full of bottles on the back of a motorbike, so it was just a case of constantly pouring water over our heads.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">However, you only got that for one or two days before the weather broke; the spells of hot conditions have certainly got longer over the last couple of years. So teams have to do more to keep riders cool, with more personnel, bottles, and cooling equipment to ensure their guys don&#8217;t suffer or lose out due to overheating.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In terms of riders and teams that were coming in with expectations, Paul Seixas was one of the biggest talking points coming into this Tour, and I think he&#8217;s performing well so far. The team were obviously hoping for him to be able to keep pace with Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard, but even though he&#8217;s slightly off that level at the moment, the third and final week is where his Tour will be determined. He may still struggle to keep up with the top two, but I can see him contending for the podium, and he&#8217;s very much a part of that conversation at the first rest day.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Meanwhile, Netcompany-Ineos, a team with Tour de France pedigree, have had a complex race so far. Their first objective of the team time trial, a stage they were favourites for alongside winners Visma-Lease a Bike, proved eight seconds out of reach, and I feel that had it turned out differently, it might have calmed the ship and changed how they raced the opening week. Obviously, losing Oscar Onley, and with him their GC hopes, was a big blow, so they&#8217;ve had to adapt their team, but neither Dorian Godon nor K\u00e9vin Vauquelin look to be at their best level to compete in the sprints or breakaways at the minute.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-6374383a-7f5c-11f1-9593-9db9daa104f3\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Filippo Ganna beats Mads Pedersen in the sprint for minor places <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-637438a8-7f5c-11f1-b3d9-951af77e2c82\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Former Tour winner Egan Bernal is the best-placed Netcompany-Ineos rider in the overall standings, currently in 10th spot, but I&#8217;m afraid he&#8217;s going to struggle to stay there as the race progresses, especially considering he&#8217;s already tackled the Giro this year, too.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Sunday&#8217;s stage also saw them riding on the front for Filippo Ganna, something I was quite surprised by in the commentary booth. Yes, he managed to grab fifth in the sprint for the minor placings, but had it been for the win, I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;d have ranked as highly.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But such is the case at the Tour, and this doesn&#8217;t just apply to Netcompany-Ineos. Teams will try everything and anything to do well there, whether it be their solitary moment of success or their seventh stage win, even if you find yourself questioning their tactics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block mb-5\" id=\"articleTag\" data-component-name=\"PostArticleLinks\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"post-article-links\">\n<div class=\"border-b border-b-black border-solid py-2.5 text-black font-bold uppercase\">TOPICS<\/div>\n<nav class=\"py-2.5 flex gap-2.5 flex-wrap\" data-analytics-id=\"article-tag\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-tag\">\n<p>Premium Columns<\/p>\n<p>Premium In-Depth Racing<\/p>\n<p>Road<\/p>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-VZo7WTTtopdJj4cRbnwWEk\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-VZo7WTTtopdJj4cRbnwWEk slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vmD8LbesKYYgEy3Vh8ZQUe.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Sean Kelly<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>&#8220;King Kelly&#8221;, the greatest Irish cyclist to have graced the peloton, brought the Emerald Isle to the fore alongside compatriot Stephen Roche in the 1980s. Points winner at the Tour de France four times, GC in the 1988 Vuelta, and a record-breaking seven consecutive wins at Paris-Nice feature during his glittering career \u2013 alongside double victories at Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo and Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"relative max-w-[1070px] viafoura-twig-component mt-6 mx-4 lg:mx-0\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class=&apos;vfcustom-community-guidelines&apos;&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1 rounded-b-[var(--comment-widget-border-radius,0)]\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-lg!\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 text-sm!\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-640-80.jpg.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-720-80.jpg.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/JckirvnjsQA8uGQFxTWeb7.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;It could be a lot worse&#8217; \u2013 Jonas Vingegaard sheds another 54 seconds to Tadej Poga\u010dar on stage 10 as Tour de France lead gets further away<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">2<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Tour de France: Tadej Poga\u010dar shreds the field in the Massif Central to extend GC lead and claim stage 10<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">3<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson crash on Tour de France descent of Puy Mary<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">4<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;Mini breakthrough&#8217; for Christopher Blevins in Pal Arinsal MTB World Series after return from injury<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Early sprint stage win for Decathlon &#8216;takes a huge amount of pressure off&#8217; teenage leader Paul Seixas in second half of Tour de France<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>I can&#8217;t understand why UAE Team Emirates-XRG are riding so much, but Poga\u010dar is so good that he will correct any mistakes in the Alps &#8211; Sean Kelly&#8217;s Tour column<\/h1>\n<div class=\"kiosq-member-label\" data-component-name=\"Article:Hero:KiosqPaywallLabels\"><span class=\"kiosq-member-label-text\"><br \/>\nMEMBER EXCLUSIVE<br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"vds-byline-block flex flex-row flex-nowrap my-1.5 gap-2 text-left items-start justify-center mx-auto max-sm:text-center max-sm:items-center\" data-component-name=\"Article:BylineBlock\">\n<p>Features<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-auto vds-simple-byline\"><span class=\"inline-block vds-author\"><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nSean Kelly <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex gap-1 vds-byline-with-avatar__meta max-sm:justify-center\"><span class=\"vds-date block font-normal tracking-normal normal-case text-xs\"><br \/>\nPublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-07-14T08:25:20Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n14 July 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">The five-time stage winner reflects on the Tour de France&#8217;s first week, UAE Team Emirates-XRG&#8217;s questionable tactics, and the hot conditions baking the peloton<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"text-gray-700 flex items-center mx-0 my-5 p-0 justify-center text-center\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-[color:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--text-color,inherit)] mb-2 text-[length:var(--affiliate-disclaimer--font-size,0.75rem)] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-inherit [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"m-0!\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\">0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-ed4a1a9a-7f55-11f1-b96b-6985c437ce3c\">As the peloton rolls out for the second week of the Tour de France, the question on many riders&#8217; and fans&#8217; lips will be whether UAE Team Emirates-XRG can sustain their stranglehold over the peloton. As a team, they&#8217;re riding so well, and thanks to Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s early exploits in the Pyrenees, there seems to be very little pressure on their shoulders. But is that a good way to race Le Tour?<\/p>\n<p>There are still two weeks to go, and if you happen to lose a rider or two to sickness or crashes, you quickly find yourself with a smaller squad and the remaining riders fatigued from their earlier efforts. There are often times when you could question the team management&#8217;s decisions when they&#8217;re out on the road, what are they doing this for, or why are they chasing this? But when Poga\u010dar is as good as he is at the moment, you can maybe make those little mistakes because he can correct everything later on.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-ed4a1a9a-7f55-11f1-b96b-6985c437ce3c-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">From my experience, in a three-week race, you have to be conservative in the first week, and in this Tour, the same applies to the second week, given the mountains awaiting them in the last few days of this year&#8217;s route. The third week is also when fatigue can really start to set in amongst the riders, especially so considering the hot conditions this year \u2013 you just don&#8217;t know the effect it&#8217;s going to have come the Alps. UAE Team Emirates-XRG&#8217;s domestiques are making efforts and controlling stages, riding at the front when they don&#8217;t really have to do it. But they&#8217;re by far the stronger team compared to Visma-Lease a Bike, and are riding so well.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Of course, their motives aren&#8217;t always completely clear. Take Sunday&#8217;s stage for example, UAE were keeping the breakaway on a really tight leash, and there were a lot of teams, and commentators too, for that matter, asking &#8216;What are you doing here, riding on the front? Are you going for the stage win or just controlling?&#8217;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-aedab2dc-7f5b-11f1-8746-8342d092de6f\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/Rce3nKMfRnBmB7UFDuvnG7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">UAE riding on the front during stage 9 on Sunday <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-aedab34a-7f5b-11f1-8e29-2105e9754e03\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Speaking from experience, when riders who know each other go and ask these kinds of questions, they&#8217;ll get an answer, but it&#8217;s never a straight one. UAE probably said they were going to &#8216;control&#8217; on Sunday, but what does that really mean? Does it mean you just want to control the time limit for Poga\u010dar&#8217;s GC rivals, or do you want to control the stage outcome?<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Given the way the Slovenian is riding, I expect this next week of medium mountain stages to possess the best opportunities for the breakaway. I say this because, come next weekend and into the third week, UAE will control and target those high mountain days. For the breakaway, those sorts of stages will be difficult to dictate. In years gone by, they would have offered great chances when the GC contenders stayed in the bunch, and those who got up the road would typically do battle for the day&#8217;s honours. But, with the way UAE are riding, you can make a massive effort to get in the break, alongside some other top climbers, but they might only give you two minutes because Poga\u010dar wants to ride for the win. I think we&#8217;re going to see a lot of that. So the opportunities lie on those transitional, medium-mountain stages for riders who want to win via the break.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"searing-heat-seixas-steady-start-and-netcompany-ineos-conundrum-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Searing heat, Seixas&#8217; steady start, and Netcompany-Ineos&#8217; conundrum<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-02ae7968-7f5a-11f1-b72f-1701a59a658b\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Perhaps the only thing more relentless than UAE Team Emirates-XRG so far this Tour de France has been the high temperatures across Spain and France. It&#8217;s been a challenge for riders, and naturally, the race organisers too. What can they do, though? Suggestions to start stages early in the morning, to avoid the hottest part of the day, will almost certainly face pushback from broadcasters wanting the stages to finish in the evening when the viewership is highest.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It&#8217;s definitely becoming a problem, and answers aren&#8217;t clear to see, unless you move the Tour away from July, which again organisers wouldn&#8217;t want to do because July is Tour de France time, it&#8217;s holiday season around Europe, and what makes the race so great is the spectators lining the roads day after day, mountains covered with spectators.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Unfortunately, it feels like one of those issues where a rider has to get sunstroke and subsequently crash before change or a solution is found with any urgency.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy-box kiosq-b\" id=\"elk-d600620c-7f61-11f1-b3a0-9ff1cedafd69\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"fancy_box-title\">More Tour columns<\/div>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure \">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-2560-80.png.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1920-80.png.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1440-80.png.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1280-80.png.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1200-80.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-1024-80.png.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-970-80.png.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-480-80.png.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/CYPGxQTakxaJUTn9ufEBUE-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images\/Future)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Don&#8217;t be surprised by Poga\u010dar&#8217;s early dominance, history shows it&#8217;s how every serial Tour de France winner succeeds &#8211; Philippa York analysis<\/li>\n<li>In this extreme heat there&#8217;s less room to hide, it&#8217;s like you&#8217;re at altitude and some riders adapt better than others &#8211; Matej Mohori\u010d&#8217;s Tour de France diary<\/li>\n<li>Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s dominance will open up the race and give us more opportunities &#8211; Luke Plapp&#8217;s Tour de France diary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-d6006284-7f61-11f1-a463-d9f3fb20e5a9\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">While riding in hot weather isn&#8217;t necessarily anything new, I&#8217;ve rarely seen such a prolonged period at the Tour. I remember the 1989 and 1990 Tours, we were riding near Marseille with the temperature at 40\u00b0C and essentially just had bidons of water to keep us cool, ice socks hadn&#8217;t made it into the peloton by this point, and I suspect several riders lost time because of the heat. We didn&#8217;t have the support from neutral service and team cars as they do now, with fridges full of bottles on the back of a motorbike, so it was just a case of constantly pouring water over our heads.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">However, you only got that for one or two days before the weather broke; the spells of hot conditions have certainly got longer over the last couple of years. So teams have to do more to keep riders cool, with more personnel, bottles, and cooling equipment to ensure their guys don&#8217;t suffer or lose out due to overheating.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In terms of riders and teams that were coming in with expectations, Paul Seixas was one of the biggest talking points coming into this Tour, and I think he&#8217;s performing well so far. The team were obviously hoping for him to be able to keep pace with Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard, but even though he&#8217;s slightly off that level at the moment, the third and final week is where his Tour will be determined. He may still struggle to keep up with the top two, but I can see him contending for the podium, and he&#8217;s very much a part of that conversation at the first rest day.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Meanwhile, Netcompany-Ineos, a team with Tour de France pedigree, have had a complex race so far. Their first objective of the team time trial, a stage they were favourites for alongside winners Visma-Lease a Bike, proved eight seconds out of reach, and I feel that had it turned out differently, it might have calmed the ship and changed how they raced the opening week. Obviously, losing Oscar Onley, and with him their GC hopes, was a big blow, so they&#8217;ve had to adapt their team, but neither Dorian Godon nor K\u00e9vin Vauquelin look to be at their best level to compete in the sprints or breakaways at the minute.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure full-width-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check id=\"elk-6374383a-7f5c-11f1-9593-9db9daa104f3\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-2560-80.jpg.webp 2560w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1440-80.jpg.webp 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/4SxtgTzTQj4zYUgvEgZGEH-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\" full-width-layout\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Filippo Ganna beats Mads Pedersen in the sprint for minor places <\/span><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-637438a8-7f5c-11f1-b3d9-951af77e2c82\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Former Tour winner Egan Bernal is the best-placed Netcompany-Ineos rider in the overall standings, currently in 10th spot, but I&#8217;m afraid he&#8217;s going to struggle to stay there as the race progresses, especially considering he&#8217;s already tackled the Giro this year, too.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Sunday&#8217;s stage also saw them riding on the front for Filippo Ganna, something I was quite surprised by in the commentary booth. Yes, he managed to grab fifth in the sprint for the minor placings, but had it been for the win, I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;d have ranked as highly.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But such is the case at the Tour, and this doesn&#8217;t just apply to Netcompany-Ineos. Teams will try everything and anything to do well there, whether it be their solitary moment of success or their seventh stage win, even if you find yourself questioning their tactics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/i-cant-understand-why-uae-team-emirates-xrg-are-riding-so-much-but-pogacar-is-so-good-that-he-will-correct-any-mistakes-in-the-alps-sean-kellys-column\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5wbYcDhxbQvkdFcVyDeQhj-2000-80.png&#8221;] Pro Cycling I can&#8217;t understand why UAE Team Emirates-XRG are riding so much, but Poga\u010dar is so good that he will correct any mistakes in the Alps &#8211; Sean Kelly&#8217;s Tour column MEMBER EXCLUSIVE Features By Sean Kelly Published 14 July 2026 The five-time stage winner reflects on the Tour de France&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-2042918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2042918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042918\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2042918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2042918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2042918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}