Illness Within UAE Camp Introduces Uncertainty Ahead of Tour de France Final Stages

Tadej Pogacar’s pursuit of a fifth Tour de France title faces a late challenge as a viral illness impacts his UAE Team Emirates XRG squad. The Slovenian cyclist holds a substantial lead of nearly five minutes, yet the team’s performance in Stage 18 raised concerns about the health of its support riders.

During the mountain stage to Orcières-Merlette, the team was notably less aggressive than in previous outings. Brandon McNulty abandoned the race mid-stage after reporting a sore throat, while Adam Yates, a key support rider, continued to struggle with symptoms he earlier reported. Other domestiques, including Tim Wellens and Florian Vermeersch, have reportedly been dealing with sickness as well.

Despite the disruptions, Pogacar retains the yellow jersey. Following the stage, he noted that while losing McNulty was unfortunate, Yates is improving. He acknowledged that fatigue is widespread in the peloton during the third week of competition.

The dynamics within the top standings have shifted significantly following the withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard due to a crash earlier in the race. With Vingegaard out, Pogacar and teammate Isaac del Toro are positioned for a potential one-two finish, though Del Toro has slipped back from Remco Evenepoel in the race for second place.

Riders reported that illness is circulating among multiple teams, not just UAE. Nils Politt emphasized that the remaining healthy riders are isolating where possible to minimize transmission risk before the critical final mountain stages. The race concludes with back-to-back ascents of Alpe d’Huez before the final stage in Paris.

What to watch

• Stage 19 and 20: The back-to-back Alpe d’Huez stages will test the strength of Pogacar’s reduced support team.
• Del Toro vs. Evenepoel: Continued monitoring of the battle for second place overall.
• Team Health: Updates on whether illness spreads further within the peloton before the final Sunday.

Source: original release