Something unusual happened on the 4th stage of the Tour de France. Tim Wellens, one of Tadej Pogačar's most important helpers, unexpectedly broke away from the peloton to claim points on a relatively small climb, aiming to secure the polka-dot jersey for the best climber of the day for his teammate Pogačar at the end of the stage.
It was a surprising move, as Wellens isn't typically the type to go for jerseys, but there was more at play than initially met the eye. After the stage, following endless media interviews and a lengthy podium ceremony, Wellens explained: "Our only goal is the yellow jersey in Paris."
According to Wellens, it wasn't a lack of respect for the polka-dot jersey, but since it wasn't a real objective for Pogačar, priorities had to be set. "Tadej likes the leader's jersey too, but the truth is, rest is Tadej's priority on the Tour," said Wellens.
Additionally, there was the fact that Pogačar had an opportunity to win the next day and do so in the rainbow jersey of the World Champion, should he lose the polka-dot jersey – which is exactly what happened.
As a standalone event, it's interesting, especially considering that for many cyclists, such a jersey would be the highlight of their Tour. But it wasn't an isolated incident. After an inevitable reshuffle in the flat time trial of stage 5, Pogačar was back in the yellow leader's jersey on stage 6, with a 42-second lead over his closest competitor. But it seemed like he couldn't wait to give it away to someone else.
After the time trial, he already seemed to be encouraging the inevitable breakaway of the next day: "I don't know what can happen tomorrow. Maybe it's a day for the breakaway and they can take the yellow jersey too," Pogačar said before stage 6.
The culmination of this trend arrived on a hot day in Normandy when Ben Healy took his first stage win on the Tour. However, five minutes behind, a mental chess match was unfolding, with Jonas Vingegaard, Pogačar's main rival for the overall victory, putting his team to work over the last 30 km to close the gap to the breakaway. This, though seemingly counterintuitive at first glance, was to keep the leader's jersey on a favorite.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG had been content to let the gap grow throughout the day, to over six minutes, clearly willing to give up the leader's jersey. But when Visma realized the gap might become too small, they saw an opportunity to prevent UAE from getting rid of it.
Ultimately, it all came down to a single second: Pogačar lost the leader's jersey to the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, despite the efforts of Vingegaard and his Visma team. These unusual tactics also led to frustration from a clearly annoyed Pogačar. At the end of the stage, the Slovenian remarked: "Visma tried to do... I don't know what. They went full gas, so we just followed them," dismissing the notion that he was chasing the yellow jersey – quite the opposite.
So why are the biggest riders in this year's Tour actively trying to avoid the lead, and why are their rivals trying to prevent them from shedding it?
Cycling, especially the Tour de France, is a game of small victories. It is the most stressful race of the year for every participant, as the stakes are higher and the media attention is immense. After a long, hot day in the saddle, the stage winner and the leader of every classification must go through an exhausting round of interviews, podium ceremonies, and autograph signings, which delays essential recovery and rest.
Recovery has become almost as important as training itself in cycling. Post-stage servings of rice, cherry juice, massages, ice baths, and compression pants have become a standard routine – and only a few of these are compatible with the schedule of the media circus.
Furthermore, there are unwritten rules in cycling where the leader and their team are obligated to control the race before the action truly begins. This means added stress and effort for a team whose goal is not to be the leader, but to win the Tour at the end.
While for many riders, spending even a single day in the yellow jersey is the highlight of their career, for the few who have a realistic chance of winning the overall, it is a burden they wish to carry as late and as little as possible.
In a sport where every little detail counts, avoiding these obligations – or burdening your rival with them – has become a strategic part. We've already seen the first moves of this game in the first week of the Tour, so don't be surprised if this race within a race continues throughout the entire Tour.
