Pogacar rides with Del Toro and Yates in quest for fifth Tour de France

PARIS: Defending champion Tadej Pogacar will be joined by Isaac del Toro and Adam Yates in his quest for a record-equalling fifth Tour de France, his UAE team announced on Monday.

In addition to Mexican Del Toro – recent winner of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes – and Briton Yates, his regular mountain lieutenant, the Slovenian superstar’s eight-man team will include German Nils Politt, Belgian pair Florian Vermeersch and Tim Wellens, Austrian Felix Grossschartner and American Brandon McNulty.

The latter two were preferred to two of Pogacar’s seasoned Tour teammates, Jhonatan Narvaez and Pavel Sivakov, who had been part of his previous winning squad.

“The Tour de France is always the biggest challenge of the season and also the race that motivates us the most,” said Pogacar, winner in 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025.

“Every year, you arrive at the start knowing that anything can happen over three weeks, and that’s what makes it so special.

“We’ve prepared really well as a team, everyone has worked incredibly hard, and now we’re excited to finally get started in Barcelona.”

The Tour de France will kick off with a team time trial through the streets of Barcelona on Saturday.

Pogacar, 27, will bid to become the fifth rider to win a quintet of Tour de France titles after France’s Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddy Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain.