Vuelta a España, the Decathlon case, and criticism of tactics

The fourth stage of the Vuelta a España opened with UAE Team Emirates-XRG leading the peloton, and with the usual Tadej Pogačar sprinting to victory with huge gaps. But the day's story wasn't all about absolute domination: stealing the show, at least for a while, was another team, Decathlon CMA CGM, whose race management sparked a heated tactical debate.

The French team took control of the race toward the summit of the first climb of the day, Port d'Envalira, 85 km from the finish, continuing their work on the Collada de Beixalis. There, however, Pogačar turned the tide with a lightning-fast attack, turning into a solo breakaway that may have already shaped the overall standings.

Decathlon captain Felix Gall initially tried to chase the Slovenian, but was forced to give up. He then attempted to break away from his direct rivals on the Coll d'Ordino, but was unsuccessful: the Austrian finished the stage in a small group of six men behind the UAE champion.

At the finish line, there were doubts, raised by Iván Romeo , Enric Mas's Movistar teammate, who crossed the finish line at the same time as Gall. "They gave him a bit of a run for his money," Romeo told Eurosport España, suggesting that Decathlon's efforts had ultimately paved the way for UAE.

"I don't know if people at home understood it well—honestly, we didn't fully understand it either, but that's how it is. Everyone has their own tactics, that's how it works," the Spaniard continued. "It's not a harsh criticism or anything. It's just a bit surprising when there's such a superior team. I think it surprised all of us a bit. We were talking about it in the group. But in the end, it's their race and they decide."

Léo Bisiaux , a young French talent from Decathlon, quickly responded, categorically rejecting the idea that the team harbored any illusions about realistically challenging Pogačar for the red jersey. "Not really," he replied when asked if they were racing as if the Slovenian didn't exist. "We just wanted to do our own race. I think he won by a considerable margin anyway. Chasing the red jersey isn't our goal."

"We really wanted to make the race tough so Felix could build some distance," Bisiaux added. "We knew these kinds of efforts aren't necessarily his favorite terrain. We're eagerly awaiting the high mountains, where he can really show his level. But he still proved today that he's very strong."

This isn't the first time this Grand Tour season that Decathlon CMA CGM's tactical decisions have come under scrutiny. At the Giro d'Italia, the team handled the final week in a similar fashion, with Jonas Vingegaard dominating the race. On the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, it was Pogačar himself who challenged their pace on the Col de Sarenne.