UAE Team Emirates put on a striking team display on stage 4 of the Tour de France, dictating terms on the Col du Galibier with their elite squad of climbers to launch Tadej Pogačar to victory and back into the yellow jersey.
After stunning work from Nils Politt, Marc Soler and Tim Wellens on the flat to keep the day’s break in check and pace the lower slopes of the final 23km climb, UAE turned to their three deluxe climbing domestiques to put the hurt on the GC field.
Last year’s third-place finisher at the Tour, Adam Yates was the first into action, even sacrificing his own ambitions for that of his leader. João Almeida and Juan Ayuso later swapped turns for the final 4km of the climb to isolate Pogačar’s rivals Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel.
Pogačar then jumped clear inside the final kilometre of the climb to solo victory over the other side in Valloire to complete the UAE Team Emirates masterclass.
“It was a great performance from all of the team, especially João Almeida and Juan Ayuso on the Galibier and finally the great work by Tadej Pogacar. Incredible, incredible achievement,” manager Mauro Gianetti told Eurosport.
UAE were constantly on the radio in the run-up to the crest of the climb, with Almeida even gesturing Ayuso back through to do more work on the front as they attacked into the Alpine headwind.
Gianetti even revealed that it wasn’t hard enough initially for Pogačar, who asked for more pace before he launched his stage-winning attack 19.7km from Valloire.
“It was a question also to try to see and understand how they are, the other teams - not only the leaders,” said Gianetti. “Tadej was feeling good and he asked to pull harder, tried his attack and achieved this amazing victory.”
Ayuso and Almeida were equally content past the line, with the likes of yellow jersey Richard Carapaz, Felix Gall, Egan Bernal and Matteo Jorgenson among the victims of their infernal pacing.
“Everybody did great work, all the eight guys did perfect,” Almeida told ITV. “We are proud of our work. In the end, it paid off, just a pity the headwind. I think it’s looking good.”
“It’s great no? Tadej managed to gain time and also the stage,” Ayuso said. “Me and João I think did a perfect job working together so we can't be happier.
“It means so much to be in a team like this, in the best team in the world, and to be able to work like this and stay with the best is just great. I’m so happy also for Tadej, to win on a big margin is great.”
Once Pogačar dropped his bomb of an attack 800m from the top of the climb, Ayuso and Almeida were able to sit in over the “dangerous” descent as Ayuso described it, with the 21-year-old Spanish rider even managing to mop up some of the bonus seconds on the line ahead of Vingegaard.
“[The descent] was really dangerous and on the limit but it’s also part of cycling. But I’m glad I could also defend myself there,” said Ayuso, who alongside Almeida made sure to emphasise that despite ending the day in fourth and eighth overall respectively, UAE are all in on Pogačar as the leader.
“I mean that's not the goal, the goal is to win with Tadej,” said Almeida when asked if UAE could fill all three spots on the podium when the race finishes in Nice. “Any extras are welcome of course but I’m focused on working for Tadej, it can only get better.”
But the options only make UAE Team Emirates’ already imposing position look even stronger.
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