UAE Team Emirates-XRG raised eyebrows across the Tour de France peloton after spending much of Stage 9 chasing a dangerous breakaway, despite Tadej Pogačar already holding a comfortable lead in the general classification.

The group was rarely allowed an advantage of more than 90 seconds on the shortened 154.6-kilometre route from Malemort to Ussel. UAE repeatedly drove the pace behind, forcing the escapees to work throughout a demanding afternoon in extreme heat.

The pursuit ultimately fell just short. According to the official Tour de France results, Mathieu van der Poel won the stage ahead of Tobias Halland Johannessen, Tom Pidcock and Alex Baudin, while the first riders from the peloton crossed the line only six seconds later.

UAE keeps the pressure on

A strong 16-rider breakaway eventually formed after an aggressive opening to the stage. The group included Van der Poel, Pidcock, Baudin, Halland Johannessen and Lidl-Trek pair Derek Gee-West and Quinn Simmons.

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None represented an immediate threat to Pogačar’s yellow jersey. Halland Johannessen was the highest-placed general classification rider in the move, but remained more than nine minutes behind the Slovenian.

That made UAE’s response difficult to understand. Rather than allowing the break to establish a conventional advantage, the team continued riding at the front of the peloton and kept the race within reach.

Netcompany Ineos and Lidl-Trek later added riders to the pursuit, but UAE had already spent a significant part of the stage setting the pace.

Gianetti says team wanted control

As reported by Cyclingnews, UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti insisted the squad had not been trying to catch the breakaway.

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“There were lots of attacks during the day,” Gianetti said.

He explained that whenever UAE reduced its pace, more riders attempted to bridge across. Keeping the speed high was therefore intended to settle the race and prevent further attacks rather than prepare a sprint for Pogačar or Isaac del Toro.

Gianetti also dismissed the suggestion that UAE had been defending its position in the team classification. Lidl-Trek had two riders in the break and remained more than 27 minutes ahead of UAE after the stage, but the team manager said that was not behind the pursuit.

Pogačar offers a slightly different explanation

Pogačar’s account added another layer to the tactical debate.

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“We didn’t plan to catch the break,” the yellow jersey said.

The four-time Tour winner explained that UAE had initially been riding at Tim Wellens’ preferred tempo because the Belgian was feeling strong. Other teams then approached Pogačar and asked whether UAE would contribute to the chase.

After consulting the team’s sports directors over the radio, UAE continued helping but was told not to commit too heavily. The team eventually stepped back when Ineos and Lidl-Trek provided more support during the final 50 kilometres.

The explanations were not necessarily contradictory, but they showed that UAE’s intentions developed during the stage. What began as an attempt to control repeated attacks gradually turned into assistance for teams hoping to contest the victory.

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Breakaway survives by six seconds

The high speed behind placed the breakaway under constant pressure, but it also encouraged the leading riders to cooperate.

Van der Poel made the decisive selection with around 25 kilometres remaining, reducing the front group to four alongside Halland Johannessen, Pidcock and Baudin.

The Dutchman was forced to lead from the front during the final kilometre but still had enough strength to hold off his companions in the sprint. Halland Johannessen finished second, with Pidcock third and Baudin fourth.

Filippo Ganna led the chasing group home just six seconds later, underlining how close UAE and the other pursuing teams came to ending the breakaway’s hopes. The result left Pogačar’s general classification lead unchanged at two minutes and 42 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard.

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UAE’s effort did not deliver a stage victory or produce a meaningful change in the overall standings. It did, however, offer another demonstration of the team’s strength and its determination to control almost every aspect of the race, even on a day when the yellow jersey was never seriously under threat.