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
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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
- - Un poco corto en la parte técnica de la bici de McNulty, no? Colnago nero con detalles arcoíris suena brutal — queremos más fotos, per favore.pedalpowe2902-10-2026
- - Demi finally gets her stripes! Team Oranje tactics on point again — recon, lead-out, and that patient regroup. Textbook. Chapeau.sprocketspiny02-10-2026
- - Wait, does the world champ jersey apply to all disciplines or just road race? Can McNulty wear it in a TT too, or is that only if he won the TT worlds?davidm02-10-2026
- - Brilliant coverage. The early flight back to beat jet lag is elite-level thinking. Those marginal gains matter before a punchy Euros course.samanthak02-10-2026
- - Not sure the “surprised everyone” line about McNulty is fair. He’s been knocking on the door all season in one-day races and TTs. Emilia in rainbows is going to slap.patriciaw02-10-2026
- - Love seeing the rainbow bands back on Slovenian roads. Demi looks sharp in that kit. Hope she gets a full custom bike soon, not just a tiny stripe under the seatpost. Come on, give the champ a proper paint job!cadencekingm02-10-2026
- - Quick one: why can’t McNulty wear the rainbow at Euros? Is it only for world champs from Europe or something about national teams vs trade teams?lindae02-10-2026
- - That Dutch masterclass was something else. Vollering timed that second move perfectly after the first dig didn’t stick. Proper teamwork — Wiebes and the crew deserve as much credit as Demi.julien02-10-2026
- - Boonen’s line about trusting teammates is gold. World’s is chess, not crit. Belgium tried to cover every scenario and covered none. Harsh lesson, but needed before next year.samanthak02-10-2026
- - Great read, but the piece leans a bit too harsh on Wout for me. He wasn’t at leader-level form, true, yet the team didn’t set up a plan B well enough. Segaert the bright spot, agreed.julien02-10-2026
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