Pogačar's support squad is all in for a 5th Tour de France win: 'The toughest fitness session of my life'

At UAE Emirates-XRG, everyone is ready to make a big splash with Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de France. The Slovenian has been in great form all year, but he’ll likely be even better in July. And he’ll also have seven top-level support riders with him, including Belgians Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch.

Wellens has also competed in the Tour for the past two years; Pogačar won in Paris both times. Vermeersch hasn’t ridden the Tour de France since joining UAE, but he’ll be at the start in Barcelona this time. Both riders emphasise that it could be Pogačar’s race from day one, knowing that Saturday’s team time trial in Barcelona will culminate in a head-to-head battle uphill.

Pogačar dominated in the spring with victories at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and got into stage race rhythm with an overall victory at the Tour de Romandie in May. After a high-altitude training camp, he returned to competition at the Tour de Suisse, where he dominated three stages and claimed the overall title.

As of 2026, he has 13 victories under his belt, and Wellens warns about Tour de France contender Pogačar, who—unlike in the spring—is still a bit lighter. Off the bike, too, the finishing touches have been put in place. “I’ve done a workout with him once, and it was one of the toughest sessions of my life. It’s moving from machine to machine, with very little rest. That’s really impressive.”

"Tadej knows exactly what he's doing and knows exactly what he needs to do in terms of weight leading up to the Tour de France, including his diet," Wellens told IDL Pro Cycling. Speaking to HLN, Vermeersch added: “You can’t imagine how good he is. Especially when he starts throwing around his wattages per kilogram of body weight—that’s often depressing for me...”

Within the UAE team, no one dares to compare themselves to Pogačar or challenge him in training. The Slovenian is unbeatable in every discipline, so Wellens and Vermeersch are more than happy to play a supporting role for three weeks. “Controlling the pace and positioning in the flatter stages. Especially during that hectic first week, I can be an asset when it comes to positioning,” said Vermeersch.

Vermeersch and Nils Politt are therefore in for the flat stages, while Wellens will also have to do his part on the climbs. After breaking his collarbone during the Opening Weekend, he made a strong comeback, though he lost his Belgian national champion’s jersey last Sunday. “I had missed the Flemish classics, so during the Walloon classics I made sure to seize every opportunity to race in Belgium while wearing the champion’s jersey.”

"It was the right decision to still race the climbing classics, because I was already a lot better by the time of Eschborn-Frankfurt. That was followed by a high-altitude training camp, so I’ve got my legs back in good shape. Everyone is injury-free, so that’s no longer an issue. My altitude training went perfectly; the metrics are very good. I’m right where I need to be and don’t need to improve much more.”

So Pogačar’s domestiques are also at the top of their game, and that’s something to think about. Their motivation to give it their all for their team leader is immense. “You know that when you lead out and give it your all, there’s a good chance the team leader will finish it off afterward. That’s a completely different feeling than racing with a team leader who rarely wins,” Vermeersch reiterated.

Even off the bike, Pogačar is a leader. “Especially in his patience,” says Wellens. “It’s not easy to be Tadej Pogačar and live his life. If you go for a ride, there are invariably twenty people on your tail. People pull up alongside you to take photos, but Tadej remains very patient and respectful in those situations. I don’t think anyone else could handle the pressure and attention the way Tadej does.”

"It's everyone's dream, but at some point it becomes too much. That's certainly the case for Tadej right now, but he's handling it well. We sometimes say we're glad we're not in his shoes," said the Belgian. "You can’t learn his character, but he’s also grown into it. It’s hard to say no to people, but sometimes you have to let people down at the bus."

It is precisely that character that makes Pogačar so beloved within UAE. “Everyone wants to work for Tadej, even if he weren’t the very best. He’s a great guy, and even on a bad day, he’d still get everyone to follow him. I think he was raised well.”