Never change a winning team (except for one thing): Tadej Pogacar knows his seven teammates for the Tour de France

Never change a winning team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG must have thought. The team was so dominant last year that they know what they are capable of when everyone is in form. That means that Pogacar can count on his trusted lieutenants João Almeida (recent winner of the Tour de Suisse), Adam Yates, Marc Soler, and Pavel Sivakov for his sixth participation in the Tour de France.

Nils Politt, Tim Wellens, and Narváez will be tasked with keeping the Slovenian out of trouble on the flat, with Wellens and Narváez also capable of keeping up on the climbs. "I’m excited for the Tour to start. I’m lucky to have had close to the perfect preparation this year — everything has gone really smoothly, especially coming off a great altitude camp with my teammates. The vibes in the team are amazing right now, and that gives me a lot of confidence,“ Pogacar said in a press release.

”Of course, you can never be fully prepared for something like the Tour de France — it’s unpredictable, and that’s part of what makes it so special," the top rider continued. “I’m expecting a very high level from all the other top riders. The first few days should be really exciting for the fans with some open, aggressive stages, and the last week is very climbing-heavy with some iconic stages. It’s going to be a big fight all the way to Paris, but I’m ready to give everything.”

Tadej Pogacar
João Almeida
Jhonatan Narváez
Nils Politt
Pavel Sivakov 
Marc Soler 
Tim Wellens 
Adam Yates