Pogačar's support squad is all in for a 5th Tour de France win: 'The toughest fitness session of my life'
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Follow us on GoogleAt 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.
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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.”
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Pogačar won the Tour de Suisse
Wellens and Vermeersch look up to Pogačar ahead of the Tour de France
"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.
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Florian Vermeersch
Wellens and Vermeersch start the Tour de France in top form
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.
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Tim Wellens
Wellens Highlights Pogačar's Strength as a Person
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.”
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
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- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
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- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
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