EF boss Vaughters identifies Pogacar's 'only weakness': 'Looks like that’s going to happen this Tour de France'

The 2026 Tour de France starts today, so all the teams and riders have spoken briefly with the media. CEO Jonathan Vaughters did so on behalf of EF Education-EasyPost, and some interesting points were discussed. For example, the American team boss claimed to have identified Tadej Pogačar's “the only weakness”.

First, let’s look at EF itself, which is heading to the Tour de France with an ever-aggressive eight-man squad. “It’s the most important race of the year for all teams, but for us it’s even more important, because it’s the only Tour that everyone knows,” according to Sport. And so, according to Vaughters, the team is lining up at the start with very high ambitions.

EF’s strategy? “That’s a bit of a secret,” the American says, refusing to answer. The team has already made it clear that it plans to race very aggressively and go for every opportunity. Richard Carapaz is a dangerous asset in this regard; he recently finished second in the Tour de Suisse, a respectable distance behind the unbeatable Pogacar.

Still, it was a tough year for Carapaz, marked by the death of his mother and physical setbacks. Despite this, Vaughters is counting on the rider from Ecuador. “When the Tour is tough and hot, Richie is a very tenacious rider—he’s got what it takes.” The team boss even dares to dream of a top-five finish, or even a podium spot. This is despite the fact that Carapaz himself has stated he isn’t aiming for the general classification.

In the battle for the general classification, the competition will be fiercer than ever. First and foremost, of course, there’s always that pesky Pogačar. Does Vaughters think the champion can even be beaten? “Not so far,” he says firmly. So even at EF, they seem to think that second place is the best anyone who isn’t named Tadej Pogačar can hope for.

But… there’s always a “but”! For example, Vaughters can point out a weakness in the world champion. “In theory, Tadej performs slightly worse when it’s very hot for several days in a row.” According to the CEO, “it looks like that’s going to happen in this Tour de France.” That heat exhaustion, the CEO says, would then be “his only weakness.”

Given the forecasted heat for the first few days of the Tour de France, we might find out if Vaughters is right sooner than we think.