{"id":251839,"date":"2026-07-07T14:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/07\/uae-team-emirates-explains-how-early-stage-wins-fit-into-tour-de-france-master-plan\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T14:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T14:34:10","slug":"uae-team-emirates-explains-how-early-stage-wins-fit-into-tour-de-france-master-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/07\/uae-team-emirates-explains-how-early-stage-wins-fit-into-tour-de-france-master-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"UAE Team Emirates explains how early stage wins fit into Tour de France master plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-d253aeaa-7a0e-11f1-9008-ad9dcce84fff\">Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s stage 3 victory at 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> and move into the yellow jersey sparked a debate about the dominance of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad, but Team Manager Mauro Gianetti told <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> that early success was all part of the master plan for Poga\u010dar to win a fifth Tour in Paris.<\/p>\n<p>Poga\u010dar <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" 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\/\" data-url=\"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\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"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\">helped teammate Isaac del Toro win on stage 2<\/a> and finished second. On stage 3 over the Pyrenees to Les Angles, Del Toro payed back Poga\u010dar by leading him out, before the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-stage-3-tadej-pogacar-blasts-away-from-jonas-vingegaard-on-final-section-of-les-angles-ascent-for-victory-and-bonus-seconds\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-stage-3-tadej-pogacar-blasts-away-from-jonas-vingegaard-on-final-section-of-les-angles-ascent-for-victory-and-bonus-seconds\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/tour-de-france-stage-3-tadej-pogacar-blasts-away-from-jonas-vingegaard-on-final-section-of-les-angles-ascent-for-victory-and-bonus-seconds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Slovenian surged away to win the stage<\/a> and take the yellow jersey from rival Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) thanks to better stage placings.<\/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-d253aeaa-7a0e-11f1-9008-ad9dcce84fff-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">It was <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/eat-food-like-a-robot-and-just-go-with-the-flow-tadej-pogacar-says-tour-de-france-frontrunners-should-already-be-firing-on-all-cylinders-as-he-scorches-into-yellow\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/eat-food-like-a-robot-and-just-go-with-the-flow-tadej-pogacar-says-tour-de-france-frontrunners-should-already-be-firing-on-all-cylinders-as-he-scorches-into-yellow\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/eat-food-like-a-robot-and-just-go-with-the-flow-tadej-pogacar-says-tour-de-france-frontrunners-should-already-be-firing-on-all-cylinders-as-he-scorches-into-yellow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Poga\u010dar&#8217;s 22nd Tour stage victory<\/a>, lifting him to fifth in the all-time list of winners with former great sprinter Andr\u00e9 Darrigade. He is 13 wins away from equalling the record set by Mark Cavendish.<\/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\">Some people questioned Poga\u010dar&#8217;s need for such early Tour dominance. French television commentators and experts were perhaps hoping Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) would be allowed to stay and so see a French rider take yellow.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cThey have every right to want to win, and they have the means to do so, but beyond that I don\u2019t see what purpose it really serves,\u201d former pro Thomas Voeckler said after following the stage on a motorbike.<\/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\">Laurent Jalabert was more understanding.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">\u201cI think he dreams at night about winning races, and when he wakes up he says \u2018I will win today&#8217;.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-E3FpUXe8F5gkXqLacgSCSf\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-E3FpUXe8F5gkXqLacgSCSf 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\">\u201cHowever, the day when he has his wings clipped or he has a tough moment, he can\u2019t expect help from whoever else.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Poga\u010dar insisted that he was just trying to enjoy his racing.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;You need to enjoy the moment,&#8221; he said on the <em>V\u00e9lo Club<\/em> French television post-stage show.<\/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\">&#8220;We\u2019re here to win, and everyone would do the same, I think. There\u2019s still a long way to Paris, and you never know what happens, so you have to race in the moment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Gianetti had a similar logical explanation, noting how rival team Visma-Lease a Bike helped UAE chase the breakaway.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;There was a chance to win the stage, the odds looked good, so we decided to go for it. Why not?&#8221; Gianetti told <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It took a long time for the breakaway to go clear and so everyone was tired, in the peloton and in the break. Visma helped us by keeping the break in check and so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity. They gave us an &#8216;assist&#8217; as they say in football.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;When the break was unable to get away, Tadej, the other guys and the sports directors decided to go for it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">The yellow jersey came as a consequence, with Vingegaard losing two seconds in the surge to the line. Wearing the leader&#8217;s jersey carries extra responsibilities but Poga\u010dar, UAE and Gianetti have not lost sight of their final objective.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;The goal is to win the Tour and we have a strategy for that,&#8221; Giannetti said.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Winning stages can help you win the Tour de France. We were eight seconds down on Jonas Vingegaard after the team time trial, now we&#8217;re equal on time. We&#8217;re happy with that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><em><strong>The world\u2019s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. 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><\/em><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\" 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\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong> <\/strong><\/em><\/a><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\" 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\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong>Find out more<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em><strong>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/winning-stages-can-help-you-win-the-tour-de-france-uae-team-emirates-justify-early-race-dominance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tadej Poga\u010dar&#8217;s stage 3 victory at the Tour de France and move into the yellow jersey sparked a debate about the dominance of his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad, but Team Manager Mauro Gianetti told Cyclingnews that early success was all part of the master plan for Poga\u010dar to win a fifth Tour in Paris. Poga\u010dar [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":251840,"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-251839","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\/251839","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=251839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}