"Who are we afraid of? Everyone." UAE frustrated after Almeida drops out, but focused on "complicated and tough mountain stage"

“It’s a sad day for us,” Pogacar said after stage 9. “João had to abandon, and that’s completely understandable. He couldn’t bear the pain anymore. We’re all with him. He was fully committed to helping us, but it was just too much. I think he’ll recover well and come back even stronger,” the Slovenian said.

Team manager Gianetti also spoke with Cyclism'Actu. “I mostly feel sorry about João Almeida having to abandon. We’ve lost our lieutenant. The guy who finished fourth in the Tour last year. He could have played a role. Having two riders in the GC, that really helps, tactically speaking,” he said. With Almeida gone, UAE’s focus is now clear: “Make sure Tadej Pogacar stays in control of the Tour.”

That control will be put to the test immediately on Monday with a brutal stage featuring 4,500 meters of climbing. “It’s the big French national holiday, but also a big celebration for cycling! We’re finishing at Mont-Dore, which is a legendary Tour climb, a bit like the Mûr-de-Bretagne. A lot can happen there, and I hope it turns into a great win,” said Gianetti.

“I see a complex and very tough stage,” Gianetti continued. “It’s going to be a big challenge. We’ll see who does well and who doesn’t. It’s an important stage and everyone’s looking forward to it. We’ve already come a long way in this Tour. Some people say the real Tour starts tomorrow, and while it is true that we start a different Tour tomorrow, the riders are already carrying a lot of fatigue in their legs from the first eight days.”

Asked who UAE fears the most, Gianetti didn’t hesitate: “I’ve said it before, we’re afraid of everyone. Not just Jonas Vingegaard. There’s also Remco Evenepoel, Kévin Vauquelin... If you look at history, of course we’re most wary of Vingegaard. He’s only 1 minute and 17 seconds behind, which is good for us. But he’s still a two-time Tour winner, and he deserves a lot of respect," the team boss concluded.