How Tadej Pogacar became the new ‘patron’ of the Tour de France peloton | Jeremy Whittle

Jul 13, 2026 - 17:15

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How Tadej Pogacar became the new ‘patron’ of the Tour de France peloton | Jeremy Whittle

Slovenian’s dominance has drawn admiration and criticism, with some fearing the race is losing its competitive edge

Riding the Tour de France in 40C heat is hard enough without having to race against Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates XRG every day. As the peloton takes a breather, lounges in the shade and rehydrates on the Tour’s first rest day, most team managers are pondering what genuine opportunities they may still have, in the face of Pogacar’s domination, to try to achieve success.

After he and his team were criticised for chasing down breakaways, even if they posed little or no threat to the overall standings, L’Équipe asked: “Is Pogacar killing cycling?”