‘Bit of a strange day’ – Other teams work, but Tadej Pogačar still capitalises at Giro d’Italia

It seems that even when UAE Team Emirates try to take it easy in this Giro d’Italia, other teams are willing to bring things back together and – purposefully or not – offer Tadej Pogačar another chance to attack.

On stage 17, UAE wanted to let the breakaway go but were once again lured back to the front of the race as other teams, on Wednesday dsm-firmenich PostNL, tried to shut things down in order to fight their own GC battles.

Their work brought the original break back, and though another attack went and eventually won the stage, it wasn't the straightforward day it could have been for the peloton.

“We really wanted to let the break go, but it was really complicated because other teams have different interests, but we really tried to let them go,” Felix Großschartner insisted to GCN after the stage.

“It was still a nice day for us, we could be in the front and ride safe, so that was good.”

Read more: Giro d'Italia stage 17 results: Georg Steinhauser wins atop Passo Brocon as breakaway gets its chance

In theory, it should be down to UAE, as race leaders, to control the race with other teams unwilling to work to help the rider already in pink. However, in this race with Tadej Pogačar so far ahead, the GC battle has moved away from beating him, and more towards what the rest of the top 10 can take out of each other.

This was why dsm-firmenich PostNL went on the offensive on stage 17, trying to set something up for Romain Bardet, not so that he might take time on Pogačar, but that he might move up the standings, or have a chance at a stage win.

“I think it's more not just to win a stage but also to fight in GC, to maybe drop someone else,” Großschartner said.

For UAE, this is perhaps not what they expected as race leaders, but it’s certainly not hard to understand, not a particular problem for them – in fact, it makes their life easier.

“I think it's normal. It's the fight for the top 10. But for us, it's better like this, no? Then we don't have to pull all day.”

Read more: Tadej Pogačar hints at conservative approach as Giro d’Italia domination enters third week

Despite Pogačar’s protestations on Tuesday of wanting everything to be planned, Wednesday was another day where the team and their leader had to be dynamic.

They did initially think about going for the stage, but then decided to have an easier day, also to help their sprinters, but in the end it wasn’t up to them.

“After the first downhill, Domen [Novak] was the one that was like 'I can pull all day on the climb and I can go hard' and he said let's go for it, because it was quite close. We knew that Rui [Oliveira] and [Sebastián] Molano were coming from the back as well so we said 'no, we keep it calm, we let the breakaway go',” Pogačar explained after the stage.

“Then we were surprised by dsm. They did a crazy descent and exploded the bunch, then everybody was looking around, every downhill was super fast, so it was a little bit of a strange day. But then I told Rafał, if he feels good he can also try to make a good result in the final.”

In the finale it was, perhaps predictably, Pogačar himself who felt the best, and he took yet another few seconds on his GC rivals, without his team having to do much at all. The tactic from dsm-firmenich PostNL saw Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) lose time, but only one change in the top 10, a swap between Einer Rubio (Movistar) and Filippo Zana (Jayco AlUla) in eighth and ninth.

Whether UAE work or don’t, or other teams work or don’t, Pogačar is in dominant form in this Giro, and seems to be capitalising on every situation offered up to him.

For everything you need to know about the 2024 Giro d'Italia, from the history of the race to this year's route and start list, be sure to check out our dedicated race hub.