Tadej Pogačar has lost a key ally in his race for the 2025 Tour de France. João Almeida, his teammate at UAE Team Emirates-XRG and a valuable domestique in the mountains, retired during the ninth stage to Châteauroux.

The Slovenian rider, currently wearing the yellow jersey, admitted that the intensity of the race and the long transfers are taking their toll: "This Tour is making me look old, I don't even have time to shave. We spend two hours on the bus before the start and three after the finish. I might have to carry all my bathroom supplies on the bus in the next few days," Pogačar joked.

He was more serious when he spoke about the withdrawal of Almeida, fourth in the 2024 Tour and recent winner of the Tour de Suisse. The Portuguese was involved in a massive crash during the seventh stage, suffering several grazes and a fractured rib. Despite trying to hold on, he was forced to retire during the ninth stage.

"I was suffering on the bike today, so I can't imagine how much João was suffering," Pogačar commented. "Unfortunately, he had to abandon the race; it was too much to bear, and everyone understands that. We wish him the best; he'll come back stronger. Now we'll have to reassess the situation, but I think we can do it. We'll keep fighting as a seven-man team and try to win this Tour for him too."

UAE Team Emirates-XRG's strategy will necessarily have to change, as confirmed by team manager Mauro Gianetti: "Now the whole team will support Tadej; that's our only tactic. We have the yellow jersey with a one-minute advantage; it's not huge, but it's significant. In modern cycling, that's a good margin. It'll be up to the others to attack, and we'll defend the yellow jersey."