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ItalianoTadej Pogacar admits Lidl-Trek attacks made Stage 12 harder
Tadej Pogacar admitted his UAE Team Emirates squad faced a tougher fight than expected on Stage 12 of the 2026 Tour de France after Lidl-Trek launched repeated attacks just before the finale.
What happened on Stage 12?
Pogacar’s group rode through a calm opening before Lidl-Trek’s relentless accelerations turned the race volatile. The 179.1 km route from Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saône tested every team’s tactics. Pogacar’s squad stayed composed until the final kilometres, when the pressure peaked.
And the Slovenian star saw the worst of it. A late pile-up forced several riders to the tarmac, including Fernando Gaviria, who went down hard. Pogacar winced at the sight. “I was disappointed to see Fernando laying on the ground,” he said. “It’s a shame-he’s been riding so well this Tour.”
Why Pogacar’s reaction matters
The Stage 12 chaos wasn’t just bad luck-it was a deliberate shift in the peloton’s power balance. Lidl-Trek’s willingness to attack early exposed gaps in rivals’ conditioning. Pogacar’s calm demeanour under fire showed why he’s still the man to beat in this Tour.
His quick recovery line-“All okay on our side”-underlined UAE Team Emirates’ discipline. Even amid the carnage, Pogacar kept his cool. The team’s cohesion shone through the mud and mayhem.
What comes next for Pogacar?
The Tour isn’t over yet. Pogacar knows the weekend stages could flip the script. “Tomorrow’s stage is a bit strange,” he admitted. “We’ll have to go through it, then Saturday and Sunday get nicer.”
He’s no stranger to these roads. Pogacar and his teammates scouted the weekend routes ahead of the race. That local knowledge could prove vital when the climbs start stacking up. “I know these roads quite well,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the upcoming stages.”
The 2026 Tour’s next act kicks off on 17 July with Stage 13-another chance for Pogacar to stamp his authority before the Alps arrive. The Slovenian isn’t just chasing stage wins; he’s hunting a third yellow jersey.