Formolo: People say we're a weak Tour de France team but it's not true

TIGNES FRANCE JULY 04 Davide Formolo of Italy and UAETeam Emirates Rui Costa of Portugal and UAETeam Emirates during the 108th Tour de France 2021 Stage 9 a 1449km stage from Cluses to Tignes Monte de Tignes 2107m LeTour TDF2021 on July 04 2021 in Tignes France Photo by Chris GraythenGetty Images
Davide Formolo pulls the GC group for UAE Team Emirates leader Tadej Pogacar in Tignes on stage 9 (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Tadej Pogačar may be superior to his Tour de France rivals but in the toughest stages of the race, his UAE Team Emirates squad have also stepped up and protected their leader.

Last year, Pogačar lost 1:21 in a split in crosswinds during stage 9 to Lavaur and the team have made sure he has the backing for his Tour de France. They do not have the strength in depth of Ineos Grenadiers and its many Grand Tour winners but they can count on a solid roster for the Tour with no real weak links.

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Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.