UAE manager names his team's 'MVP' after a 1-2 finish in the Tour de France—and it's not Pogacar or Del Toro
CyclingSunday, 05 July 2026 at 21:16
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Follow us on GoogleUAE Emirates-XRG flexed its muscles—and made its presence felt—on Sunday during Stage 2 of the Tour de France. Isaac del Toro and Tadej Pogacar secured an uncontested 1-2 finish on Montjuic, thereby responding to Visma | Lease a Bike after the Dutch team won the team time trial on Saturday. Sports director Matxin shared his thoughts from the team bus.
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While the plan for Saturday at Visma | Lease a Bike came from Mathieu Heijboer and his team, things are a bit different at UAE Emirates-XRG. “This was Tadej’s own decision. He spoke with Isaac. Several scenarios had been prepared: one for Tadej and one for Isaac. Tadhg ultimately made the decision.”
"He carried himself like a true gentleman, like the team leader. And by that I don’t just mean a champion, but a true leader," Matxin says proudly. “There’s a great atmosphere and a lot of mutual respect. It really feels like a family. This is cycling at its best. It’s not about individual champions here, but about the leaders of this ‘family.’”
Pogacar is also winning over fans this way, but Matxin doesn't want to go that far. "No, this is simply Isaac Del Toro's victory. It’s Isaac’s very first victory in the Tour, and that’s very important. The respect shown for this first victory in Barcelona is impressive, and I really see it as a victory for the entire team.”
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Read more below the photo!
Matxin is extremely proud of key UAE support riders
Matxin wants to single out someone else besides the first- and second-place finishers. “After all the setbacks, today’s MVP (most valuable player, ed.) for me isn’t just Tadej, but definitely Brandon McNulty as well. He pushed hard throughout every part of the final lap, on that technical and complicated final stretch.”
"The whole team controlled the race in the mountains, after which Brandon took over on his own. Adam Yates then made the difference, and after that it was up to Tadej and Isaac." That tactic had already been decided this morning. “It could also have been a scenario involving Van der Poel or Pidcock. But it could have been Isaac, or the most selective option with Tadej, depending on how the race ultimately played out on the final climb.”
In the end, it turned out to be somewhere between those last two options, exactly as planned. “After Adam Yates pushed ahead on the final climb and Brandon had done his job, we acted according to the scenarios we’d discussed. And I’m very proud of that,” the Spaniard concludes.
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - ¡Buen artículo! Del Toro ganador y aún así sanción al equipo… el Tour no perdona.patriciaw05-07-2026
- - Feels a bit nit-picky from the jury. They “had nothing to say” otherwise? Plenty of sticky bottles go unnoticed. Consistency, please.andrewf05-07-2026
- - Yellow card for a mechanic is rare! Kavcnik must’ve offered a prolonged shove or adjusted something while the bike was moving. UAE still gets the stage, but those 500 CHF add up over three weeks.bikebuffj05-07-2026
- - Not sure I understand: what exactly is a “pre-filled water bottle” violation? Aren’t all bidons pre-filled? Is this about where/when it was handed up?breakawaybikerd05-07-2026
- - Nice roundup. Del Toro continues to impress, but the real story here is the fines. Rojas getting 500 CHF for Castrillo’s pre-filled bidon is pretty steep, though rules are rules.tourdeforce905-07-2026
- - Qué etapa tan emocionante. Remco jugando al póker y Del Toro apretando sin miedo. Esto promete muchísimo para la general. Bravo.cadencekingm05-07-2026
- - Wasn’t Romain Grégoire on Groupama-FDJ, not “Groupama-FDJ United”? Little editing slip there, lads.gearguru3305-07-2026
- - Three seconds isn’t much but psychologically it’s big. Vingegaard looked comfy on the wheel—no panic, just diesel mode. Classic Jonas.raceready705-07-2026
- - Pidcock saying “reality check” hits. He’s close, but missing that last 2%. Putting a man on the front then not making the move was a bit meh from Pinarello-Q5 though. Mixed signals?cyclechamp4505-07-2026
- - Can someone explain why a “gap on the descent” matters if they were all basically together? Don’t they just pedal harder on the flat to close it? Genuinely curious how that works tactically.michael5405-07-2026
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