{"id":251556,"date":"2026-07-05T19:07:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T19:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/05\/its-a-tadej-pogacar-masterpiece-defending-tour-de-france-champion-gives-a-gift-of-a-lifetime-to-teammate-isaac-del-toro\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T19:07:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T19:07:06","slug":"its-a-tadej-pogacar-masterpiece-defending-tour-de-france-champion-gives-a-gift-of-a-lifetime-to-teammate-isaac-del-toro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/05\/its-a-tadej-pogacar-masterpiece-defending-tour-de-france-champion-gives-a-gift-of-a-lifetime-to-teammate-isaac-del-toro\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;It&#8217;s a Tadej Poga\u010dar masterpiece&#8217; &#8211; Defending Tour de France champion gives a gift of a lifetime to teammate Isaac del Toro"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-f73e1a8c-e0b4-4fe6-aec0-7318ddedcf3d\">After ushering teammate <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-isaac-del-toro-tadej-pogacar-power-to-uae-team-emirates-1-2-on-stage-2\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-isaac-del-toro-tadej-pogacar-power-to-uae-team-emirates-1-2-on-stage-2\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-isaac-del-toro-tadej-pogacar-power-to-uae-team-emirates-1-2-on-stage-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Isaac del Toro to his debut Tour de France stage victory<\/a> in Barcelona on Sunday, defending overall champion Tadej Poga\u010dar celebrated almost more enthusiastically than if he had won the stage himself.<\/p>\n<p>After he and Del Toro crossed the finish line together for a UAE Team Emirates-XRG 1-2, Poga\u010dar lifted the Mexican into the air and later celebrated with Mexican fans and UAE Team Emirates staff as he warmed down at the team bus.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-f73e1a8c-e0b4-4fe6-aec0-7318ddedcf3d-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;He is a champion, a great man, a great friend. He deserves the victory, I have no words,&#8221; Poga\u010dar said of Del Toro at the finish line.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Poga\u010dar decided to help his young teammate win his first-ever stage of the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a> after his UAE teammates controlled the race. The USA&#8217;s Brandon McNulty did a huge turn on the front of the select group on the hilly circuits around Montju\u00efc.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Since Poga\u010dar finished second on the stage and breakaway rider Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural) took the polka dot jersey, he was free of any podium duties and rode back to the team bus as Del Toro celebrated on the stage winner&#8217;s podium.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Poga\u010dar jumped into an <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/news\/its-just-cooling-nothing-fancy-tadej-pogacars-tour-de-france-ice-bath\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/news\/its-just-cooling-nothing-fancy-tadej-pogacars-tour-de-france-ice-bath\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/news\/its-just-cooling-nothing-fancy-tadej-pogacars-tour-de-france-ice-bath\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ice bath<\/a> for a few minutes and then warmed down on the rollers. Dozens of Mexican fans began to chant his name, calling him and Del Toro &#8216;Hermanos&#8217;. Poga\u010dar grabbed a huge Mexican flag and celebrated with the fans and everyone at UAE.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Tadej is not just a champion, he&#8217;s a leader,&#8221; UAE sports manager Joxean Fern\u00e1ndez Matxin told a small group of media, including <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-nn4WgSjFkcJ6iD7rdLyLiZ\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-nn4WgSjFkcJ6iD7rdLyLiZ slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s about the concept we have about the team, about being a family. We&#8217;ve created a special team where all the teammates help each other.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Brandon McNulty was the MVP for me for the work he did today. He pulled for every kilometre of the technical circuit. Then Tadej and Isaac made the difference at the finish. I&#8217;m super proud of all of these guys, of this as a family. We showed we&#8217;re a team. This is a Tadej Poga\u010dar masterpiece.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">UAE Team Emirates were ready for multiple scenarios for the three laps of the Montju\u00efc circuit. Many expected Poga\u010dar to dynamite the stage on the final laps to try to take back time on Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) after giving up 12 seconds in the stage 1 team time trial.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Perhaps keen to leave the Dane with the responsibilities of the yellow jersey, Poga\u010dar waited for the final climb to the line before accelerating to drag Del Toro clear and then controlled the gap to secure victory for his teammate and take a six-second time bonus for himself.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) finished third to take four bonus seconds, with Vingegaard fourth, in the same time. Vingegaard now leads Poga\u010dar by just six seconds as the Tour heads into the medium mountain Pyrenees for a finish in Les Angles.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;We didn&#8217;t speak a lot via radio, I just told them that they need to speak to each other,&#8221; sports director Andrej Hauptman revealed.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;For sure, this is big for Mexico, but even for us. It&#8217;s really nice to see how great champion Tadej is. You just can see it in the final 200 metres, he just calculated and controlled the sprint. It&#8217;s a big day for everyone in the team.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><strong>Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! <\/strong><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=PreTDF26\" rel=\"noopener\"><u><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/its-a-tadej-pogacar-masterpiece-defending-tour-de-france-champion-gives-a-gift-of-a-lifetime-to-teammate-isaac-del-toro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After ushering teammate Isaac del Toro to his debut Tour de France stage victory in Barcelona on Sunday, defending overall champion Tadej Poga\u010dar celebrated almost more enthusiastically than if he had won the stage himself. After he and Del Toro crossed the finish line together for a UAE Team Emirates-XRG 1-2, Poga\u010dar lifted the Mexican [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":251557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-251556","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}