Analysts surprised by peloton's reaction to UAE tactics: 'They're testing how far they can go in a relationship'

Before the first Tour de France rest day, the talk was mainly about Mathieu van der Poel, but UAE Emirates-XRG was also a topic of discussion. The team led by Tadej Pogačar rode hard at the front for a long time, which surprised many people. Former pros Thomas Dekker and Laurens ten Dam shared their thoughts on the matter on the “Live Slow, Ride Fast” podcast.

Dekker draws a parallel with other teams that have dominated. “I’d actually like to say this: in the eyes of the outside world, some teams can never really do well. We all still remember the period when Jumbo-Visma was so dominant; back then, you could definitely sense a certain resentment from the competition.”

"But it seems as though Pogačar's team—or rather, if Pogačar is racing, it's his team—can hardly do anything wrong. It's almost as if they're testing how far they can go in a relationship," Dekker analyses.

"In the end, they always get away with it. Tim Wellens' explanation made perfect sense: 'If we let the pace pick up, we'll have to sprint toward the finish line all day long. If we keep it short and start riding at some point, other teams will naturally help out.'"

"Because, of course, you’re going to be in the mix when you’re out there," Dekker explains, drawing a parallel with other teams that were also in the peloton. “INEOS wasn’t riding at first, but Ganna wants to, so he’ll probably help out. Then Lidl-Trek and Cofidis will lend a hand as well.” In the end, despite their combined efforts, they didn’t make it back.

"The UAE team didn't even have to lead for the last 40 kilometers," says Ten Dam. "I believe the stage was 150 kilometers long. It took quite a while for the breakaway group to pull away; they raced for about three and a half hours. They kept a tight grip on the pace the whole time, since there were six of them. Of course, that means you have to pedal hard, but in the end, they probably only rode at full speed for about 50 kilometers, as far as they were concerned.”

"But how is it possible that they get away with this? If they do this—if Tim Wellens is talking about it so matter-of-factly—then it’s accepted," Ten Dam says to Dekker. “Maybe this little interview will have some fallout, but they also just have the public’s sympathy,” Dekker responds.