Tadej Pogacar will be able to count on Adam Yates as a luxury lieutenant on the Tour de France within his UAE team, the selection of which was announced on Monday.
To regain his crown during this 110th edition which leaves Saturday from Bilbao, the Slovenian will have a reinforcement of choice with the British climber, who came in the off-season from the Ineos team.
Second in the last Dauphiné, Yates has solid credentials in the mountains and in stage races. It should allow Pogacar to restore the balance of power with the Jumbo-Visma formation of his rival Jonas Vingegaard who had dominated the Tour last year.
Pogacar, winner in 2020 and 2021, will also have by his side his faithful Sherpa, the Polish Rafal Majka, the Danish roller Mikkel Bjerg, the Austrian climber Felix Grossschartner, the Spaniard Marc Soler, the Italian Matteo Trentin and the Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen.
“We have a very good group, the adversity will be tough but it will always be the case in the biggest races. We are going to the Tour to deliver a good show and of course aim for victory”, commented Pogacar in the UAE press release announcing the squad for the Tour.
UAE’s selection:
Tadej Pogacar (SLO), Rafal Majka (POL), Mikkel Bjerg (DEN), Felix Grosschartner (AUT), Marc Soler (ESP), Matteo Trentin (ITA), Vegard Stake Laengen (NOR), Adam Yates (GBR).
