'The vibes are amazing' – UAE Team Emirates-XRG name Pogacar's Tour de France team

Tadej Pogačar will be flanked by João Almeida, Adam Yates and Pavel Sivakov in a strong UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad at the Tour de France.

Jhonatan Narváez, Nils Politt, Marc Soler and Tim Wellens complete the eight-man line-up, which was confirmed by UAE Team Emirates-XRG on Friday.

Pogačar is chasing a fourth Tour victory, and he warmed up for the race with an emphatic win at the Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of chief rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep).

The world champion has also won Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège during a remarkable 2025 campaign, and he brought his career to tally to 99 wins after the Dauphiné. 

“I’m excited for the Tour to start,” Pogačar said in a statement on Friday. “I’m lucky to have had close to the perfect preparation this year — everything has gone really smoothly, especially coming off a great altitude camp with my teammates. The vibes in the team are amazing right now, and that gives me a lot of confidence.

“Of course, you can never be fully prepared for something like the Tour de France — it’s unpredictable, and that’s part of what makes it so special.”

Pogačar has trained at altitude in Isola 2000 since the Dauphiné, while his chief rivals Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) were stationed at Tignes.

“I’m expecting a very high level from all the other top riders,” said Pogačar. “The first few days should be really exciting for the fans with some open, aggressive stages, and the last week is very climbing-heavy with some iconic stages. It’s going to be a big fight all the way to Paris, but I’m ready to give everything. It’s hard to believe it’s already my sixth Tour de France, time flies.”

The strength in depth at UAE Team Emirates-XRG is underscored by Almeida’s comeback victory at the Tour de Suisse, which followed wins at Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie.

The Portuguese rider placed fourth overall on his Tour debut in 2024, but in an interview with A Bola this week, he insisted that his sole objective in July was to work in the service of Pogačar.

Adam Yates, third overall in 2023, lines up after riding the Giro d’Italia in support of Isaac del Toro.

Indeed, seven of UAE’s selection raced last year’s Tour on behalf of Pogačar. The one change is the insertion of new signing Narváez in place of Juan Ayuso, who endured an ill-starred Giro challenge in May.

• Tadej Pogačar (SLO)
• João Almeida (POR)
• Adam Yates (GBR)
• Pavel Sivakov (FRA)
• Marc Soler (SPA)
• Tim Wellens (BEL)
• Jhonatan Narváez (VEN)
• Nils Politt (GER)