UAE boss laughs off pink jersey conspiracy theories, Pogacar surprises with bold (or funny?) Tour comment

The sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia turned out to be uneventful in terms of the general classification. With three gravel sectors and a tricky finish towards Rapolano Terme, there was room to try something, but the major teams in the peloton maintained a high pace. Pelayo Sanchez took advantage of this from the breakaway, while Tadej Pogacar saw no threat to his pink jersey. The Slovenian of UAE-Team Emirates and his team boss Joxean Matxin commented on the stage after a hectic day.

"It was an incredibly tough and fast stage, especially at the beginning. We basically had it under control, especially with that breakaway group. For us, it was perfect if those guys could stay ahead," Pogacar analyzed the stage afterwards in the mixed zone, leaving room to wonder: was he planning on giving up the pink jersey? "We especially didn't want to waste too much energy, so we were happy with the breakaway."

Heading into the last gravel sector, the lead of Luka Plapp, Julian Alaphilippe and Sanchez was briefly enough for Plapp to dream of the leader's jersey, but INEOS Grenadiers pushed so hard in the last gravel kilometers that this dream shattered into a thousand pieces. "Luke Plapp could have taken the pink jersey from me, I would have been fine with that. However, INEOS Grenadiers rode really hard on those gravel sectors and in the final kilometers, so it didn't happen," said Pogacar.

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There is no scenario where Pogacar would have been able to start in his own time trial suit on Friday

One would almost suspect that INEOS wanted to see Pogacar in pink for Friday's time trial. Throughout the day, there was also a theory that UAE-Team Emirates would benefit from giving up the pink jersey, with Pogacar then able to wear his own time trial suit – by sponsor Castelli – instead of a pink version. Matxin clarified in an interview with IDLProCycling.com that this was a misconception held by many. "Tadej could not have ridden in his own time trial suit in any scenario, as he is also the leader in the mountain classification. If we had given up the pink, we would still have had the blue."

"Giving up the pink jersey is not an obsession of ours," emphasized the Spanish team boss of UAE-Team Emirates. "It really depends on the situation. Today we needed to stay relaxed, keep control to avoid problems, and also race with respect for the pink jersey. We never thought about giving up the pink, not even with Friday's time trial in mind. The next two days will be important to understand the situation we are in."

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Pogacar expects a lot from Thomas in the Giro time trial

Ultimately, much was discussed but little was done, which suited Pogacar just fine. "I'm glad it's over and that I can tick it off. It was really nice to ride on gravel again. Every day is getting better and better, I'm very happy with my form. It feels like good training for the upcoming summer," he hinted – perhaps unconsciously or with a wink – at the Tour de France.

First, he has to win the Giro. For that, the 40.6-kilometer time trial to Perugia will be very important. "I hope for a good day on Friday. The course is certainly interesting, especially with a tough climb at the end. Do I want to win? No, I mainly want to feel good on the bike. That's what I'm looking for. We'll see what results that brings. The last few days it's been all about the team, now comes an individual task. I have to do it myself. I expect a lot from Geraint Thomas. If I have good legs, I'll probably enjoy it. Otherwise, not so much, haha! A good night's sleep will help a lot."

Good night then, Tadej! With a bit more focus, the flowers at the podium ceremony might well be for someone in the audience next time!