As the Tour de France was peeping over the horizon two weeks back, it was business as usual for Tadej Pogacar as the UAE Team Emirates-XRG superstar soloed to glory in the mountains of Villars-sur-Ollon.Victory in what was his Tour de Suisse debut meant the Slovenian had added yet another major race to his lengthy list of achievements, having won three out of the five stages with a display of dominance that sent an ominous warning to his Tour rivals.It was the third time this season that Pogacar had won a race for the first time following victories at the Milano-Sanremo and Tour de Romandie, in a campaign where he has also topped the podium at the Strade Bianche (for a record fourth time), Tour of Flanders (third time) and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (fourth time).In fact, Pogacar came agonisingly close to winning all seven of his races so far with his only loss coming in a thrilling sprint finish with Wout van Aert at the Paris-Roubaix.How their lead rider has performed will come as little surprise to his team bosses. When speaking to The National at February's UAE Tour before Pogacar's campaign had started, chief operating officer Andrea Agostini had insisted the best was still to come from the 27-year-old.▶“The data that we have so far seen from our coaches and performance department shows us that his numbers are growing. Still the same, still getting better,” said Agostini at Hudayriat Island in Abu Dhabi. And that has certainly proven to be the case so far in what has been a spectacular run of results.“The season has developed very much as we hoped,” UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports director Matxin Joxean Fernandez told The National ahead Saturday's opening stage of the Tour de France, which this year begins in Barcelona. “We always try to build step by step, without looking too far ahead, and Tadej has continued to improve as the season has progressed. “His physical level has been extremely high, but what has pleased us most is the consistency. Every objective has been approached with the right preparation, and he has been able to perform across very different types of races.“Of course, when you have a rider like Tadej, people focus on the victories, but behind those results there is a lot of work from the performance staff, coaches, mechanics, nutritionists and the whole team. “The success is never the result of one person. We are very satisfied with the level he has reached, but in cycling you always have to keep looking forward because the next objective is always the most important one.”According to Joxean Fernandez, it is this support network that has been the driving force behind Pogacar's success in 2026. “It is difficult to choose one because every victory has a different meaning,” he said when asked which of the Slovenian's six wins this season he enjoyed the most.▶“Personally, I enjoy the races where we see the whole team execute the plan well. When the riders support each other, when everyone understands their role and the race develops as we expected, that is very satisfying. From that perspective, I think the victories where the collective work was most visible are always special. “Tadej finishes the job, but often the foundations are laid by seven teammates over many hours. Those are the performances that give us confidence because they show the strength of the entire group, not only the individual result.”Pogacar heads into the Tour chasing what would be a record-equalling fifth crown that would bring him level with cycling greats Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Eddy ⁠Merckx.And Pogacar will once again have a formidable team around him, as he looks to secure a third successive title. The Emirati squad consists of Isaac del Toro, Felix Großschartner, Brandon McNulty, Nils Politt, Florian Vermeersch, Tim Wellens, and Adam Yates.It will be a Tour debut for Mexican rider Del Toro, whose skills will come to the fore in the mountain stages. The 22-year-old goes into the race having strolled to victory at the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, adding to his general classification wins at both the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico.So what can we expect from one of the most exciting young riders in the cycling world? “For a rider making his first Tour de France, the priority is to experience the race, learn and continue his development,” said Joxean Fernandez. “The Tour is unique because of the intensity, the pressure and the level of competition. It teaches lessons that no other race can.“Isaac has shown good progression throughout the season. He has become more consistent and more confident in his role within the team. We are not putting unnecessary pressure on him with specific results. We want him to contribute to the team where he can, gain experience and finish the race stronger than when he started.”Del Torro's development this year has been there for all to see. “His performances this season have shown maturity, particularly in races where he has had to remain patient and make good decisions rather than simply relying on physical ability,” added Joxean Fernandez.“That progression is encouraging because it is what will allow him to continue developing over the coming years.”Going up against Pogacar will once again be old rival ​Jonas ​Vingegaard, with the Visma-Lease a Bike rider going into the race on the back of a dominant Giro d'Italia victory that saw the Dane claim five stage wins.The two-time Tour champion has triumphed in all three of his 2026 races having also tasted victory at the Paris-Nice and Tour of Catalunya. Vingegaard will now be targeting a Giro-Tour double, something Pogacar managed in 2024, becoming the eighth and latest rider to achieve the feat.Teen talent Paul Seixas, of Decathlon CMA CGM team, should also be a serious contender, despite a heavy crash at the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in mid June.UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports manager Matxin Joxean Fernandez speaks to rider Jhonatan Narvaez during the 2025 Milan-Sanremo race. AFPInfo“The Tour route is always demanding, but this year it requires riders to be attentive from the very beginning. There are many opportunities where positioning and concentration will be just as important as climbing ability,” said Joxean Fernandez when asked about what riders can expect from this year's Tour stages.“As always, the mountain stages will create the biggest time differences, but we also have to respect stages that may appear easier on paper. Crosswinds, technical finishes and nervous racing can have a major impact on the general classification.“Rather than identifying one decisive stage, I think it will be the accumulation of difficult days that defines the race. Modern Tours are won by managing every stage well, not only the biggest mountain finishes.”While Vingegaard was reigning supreme at the last Grand Tour race, the Giro proved to be an unforgettable one for UAE Team Emirates-XRG – for good and bad reasons.A horrific 30-man crash on Stage 2 ruined team plans with Yates, Jay Vine and Marc Soler's races all ending abruptly due to various concussions, elbow and pelvic fractures.“That was obviously a very difficult moment because everyone invests so much time preparing for a Grand Tour,” said Joxean Fernandez. “When something like that happens so early, the first priority is always the health of the rider. Everything else becomes secondary.“After the stage, we spoke honestly as a group. There was disappointment because everyone understood what we had lost, but at the same time we reminded ourselves that the race was not over. The objectives had changed, but there were still opportunities to achieve something important.”And achieve they did as the team went on to win four stages – Ecuadorian rider Jhonatan Narvaez claiming three of them, while Spaniard Igor Arrieta secured the other after overcoming a crash and a wrong turn.“The riders responded in a very professional way. They stayed united, remained committed to the race and continued looking for opportunities every day. Winning four stages after such a setback says a lot about the character of this team. “It demonstrated resilience and the depth of our squad. We always try to race with ambition, whatever the circumstances, and I think the Giro showed exactly that.”The 2026 Tour de France begins on Saturday with a 19.7km time-trial around Barcelona.