Tour de France: 'It's weak team directing' – UAE come under fire after Tadej Pogacar cracks in Pyrenees

UAE Team Emirates' tactics at the Tour de France came in for strong criticism on The Breakaway after Tadej Pogacar unravelled on Stage 5, with Robbie McEwen calling out «weak team directing». Pogacar arrived with major doubts over his form and fitness after fracturing his wrist at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in April, but made an aggressive start in his bid for a third Tour title as he grabbed a spree of bonus seconds on the opening two stages in the Basque Country.

Ad Meanwhile, UAE grabbed the yellow jersey on Stage 1 with Adam Yates and defended it gusto, a decision that backfired on Wednesday when Pogacar was isolated, and then distanced, on the final climb. Tour de FranceForget Pogacar, Vingegaard's biggest rival at Tour is Hindley – Vaughters20 HOURS AGO Pogacar had no response as Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) set off in pursuit of escapee Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe), eventually coming home over a minute down on the Danish defending champion.

He sat sixth in the general classification ahead of Stage 6, 1'40" behind Hindley in yellow and 1'03" off Vingegaard in second. «If we look yesterday on the top of the main climb, he had the whole team on the front drilling it, the faces just absolutely in pain,» said Adam Blythe.

«We're on day five! They are trying to hold onto that GC spot and they did that, lost all the team-mates, put Tadej under pressure and then he got dropped by one attack – it wasn't a number of attacks. I think that will scare them a little bit.» Forget Pogacar, Vingegaard's biggest rival at Tour is Hindley – Vaughters Daring Hindley into yellow with epic Stage 5 win as Vingegaard cracks Pogacar Speaking to Eurosport ahead of Thursday's stage to Cambasque, Pogacar admitted he had little idea how strong he