Pogačar's towering bodyguard lines up for a remarkable tenth consecutive Tour de France. The Cologne powerhouse spends July parked on the front of the peloton, swallowing wind so his leader never has to, then buries himself again in the team time trial. The reigning German TT champion's engine is so respected that Pogačar has called him one of the most important signings the team ever made.
Palmarès
- Tour de France stage winner (Nîmes, 2021)
- 2nd Paris–Roubaix (2019)
- Deutschland Tour GC winner (2021)
- German road race champion (2021)
- German time trial champion (2025, 2026)
Cut-out factHe has never missed a Tour since his 2017 debut — ten straight starts — and at 1.92 m he is one of the tallest riders in the entire race.
The squad
Riding the 2026 Tour with Tadej Pogačar, Isaac Del Toro, Tim Wellens, Brandon McNulty, Adam Yates, Florian Vermeersch, Felix Großschartner — see the full UAE Emirates-XRG team page.
Portrait: AI paper-collage render (gpt-image-2).
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