Decathlon explain controversial Vuelta tactics after Pogacar demolition: ‘The red jersey is not our goal’

The French squad played a major role in making an already brutal day in Andorra even harder, setting a demanding pace on the Port d'Envalira and towards the Collada de Beixalís as they looked to create an opportunity for team leader Felix Gall.

But the race soon took a very different turn.

Pogačar eventually launched a devastating attack with around 50 kilometres remaining, leaving his rivals behind and riding alone to the finish. Gall initially attempted to follow the Slovenian before dropping back to the chasing group, eventually finishing third.

The sight of Decathlon driving the race despite Pogačar appearing comfortable caused plenty of confusion behind.

Movistar’s Iván Romeo was among those struggling to understand the strategy.

“The race was hard,” Romeo said after the stage. “From the start, we had the idea of trying to get into the breakaway, but as soon as the flag dropped UAE went full gas, so we could already see they weren’t going to allow much.”

When Decathlon later began contributing to the pressure, Romeo admitted it caught riders by surprise.

“Decathlon also made the race hard. I don’t know whether people watching at home understood it, because I found it a little difficult to understand myself,” he said.

“Everyone has their own tactics and that’s just how it is.”

“It’s not meant as criticism or anything,” he stressed. “It’s just a bit surprising when you see a team [UAE] that is so superior. I think it surprised all of us. We were talking about it in the group as well, but it’s their race.”

From inside Decathlon, however, the objective was clear.

Speaking to SpazioCiclismo after the stage, Leo Bisiaux said the team wanted to use the harder terrain to put Gall’s rivals under pressure.

“We really wanted to make the race hard so that Felix could make the difference and create some gaps,” Bisiaux said.

“I’m not entirely sure what happened at the front in the finale, but I think Felix is in good shape. Tomorrow, with the wind, will be another very important day.”

Bisiaux’s own role was equally straightforward.

“As I said from the start, my main goal is to help Felix. I think he put in a very strong performance today. He finished with the best riders and came third. That’s good, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow and over the next few days.”

The longer climbs, Bisiaux added, were always expected to suit Gall better.

“We knew that short and intense efforts are not Felix’s preferred terrain, so we were patiently waiting for the harder mountains, where he can really show what he is capable of,” he said.

And while Pogačar ultimately benefited most from Decathlon’s pace, Bisiaux insisted the red jersey was never the target.

“The goal today was not to put Pogačar under pressure, but simply to ride our own race,” he said. “He won by a big margin, but the red jersey is not our goal. We are aiming for the podium, and the gaps between the contenders for the podium are still very small.”