It wasn't just Pogač or Del Toro—Wellens' moment also moved UAE boss Gianetti during the Tour de France

Tadej Pogacar has now won the Tour de France five times, bringing UAE’s total to five as well. The team from the Emirates had what appeared to be an easy Tour de France, though it’s still quite a feat to pull off. Team manager Mauro Gianetti wasn’t just moved by his leaders. No, there was much more that made this victory so special.

The team manager looked back on a “special Tour,” as he told Cyclism’Actu. “Thanks to the great maturity Tadej Pogacar has shown this year, but also thanks to the collective mastery of him, Isaac Del Toro, and the entire team. "Seeing all those guys on the bus in the morning, motivating each other, focused, united in their goal, and enjoying the struggle..."

"Cycling is an extraordinary sport because only one person wins, but there’s an entire team working toward that victory," Gianetti continued. "Each of the 150 team members—from the staff to the riders—has their own dreams, and ultimately, they all place those dreams in Tadej’s hands."

In that regard, cycling serves as an example for everyone, according to the Swiss cyclist. “For other sports and for society: we’re all working together toward a common goal, and if we can’t achieve it personally, we do it for someone else. What I see every morning on the team makes me incredibly proud,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

But was it the most successful Tour de France for UAE? “For me, the first one remains the best, because it ended in such a spectacular way,” Gianetti clarifies. “But it’s true that this year, aside from the results and stage wins, the spirit of friendship, the support among our riders, and the desire to work together convey a message that goes far beyond the stage victories.”

When asked about his fondest memory, the Swiss rider couldn’t pick just one. Three, he said himself. The first two are easy to guess. “When Tadej shouted at Isaac Del Toro in Barcelona to guide him to the stage win, and when the yellow jersey became a teammate to help his best friend, who was in third place in the general classification at the time.”

But for the latter, we have to go back to Stage 17. The top UAE rider in the stage results was Nils Politt, in 33rd place. Yet it was on that day that the moment that moved Gianetti the most took place. “The moment Tim Wellens waited for Adam Yates. That was very moving for me,” the Swiss rider said, referring to the Belgian who waited for his ill teammate.