Visma have yellow but UAE already hold the stronger hand after two stages in Barcelona

Visma have yellow but UAE already hold the stronger hand after two stages in Barcelona

A team time trial win and a road stage win apiece, but the balance of power after the Tour's opening weekend points clearly in one direction.

Tim Bonville-Ginn
•5 min read

Visma | Lease a Bike won the opening 19.6km team time trial on Saturday and put Jonas Vingegaard into yellow. UAE Team Emirates-XRG answered on stage 2 to Barcelona with a one-two through Isaac del Toro and Tadej Pogačar, cutting Vingegaard's overall lead in half to six seconds. After two stages, Visma lead overall, but UAE have shown greater strength on the road.

Stage 2 was clear about the actual hierarchy on the road in this race with the three laps of the Montjuïc climb. This gave the big names their first opportunity to go on the attack and shape the race. At least, that's probably what they thought.

However, UAE had different plans and controlled the race from the first climb of the day all the way through the laps in Barcelona with Brandon McNulty pacing for almost two and a half of the three laps. Adam Yates also played a key part in making sure Pogačar and Del Toro were safe and well placed for the finale. The outcome of the stage saw Del Toro take his first Tour stage win on his first go at a road stage and Pogačar move up to second and to just six seconds from yellow.

Stage 1 Results

Barcelone - Barcelone • Jul 4 • 19.6km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Team Visma | Lease a Bike0:21:47
🥈
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+0:08
🥉
UAE Team Emirates XRG
UAE Team Emirates XRG+0:12
4
Lidl-trek
Lidl-trek+0:16
5
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+0:19
6
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+0:39
7
Alpecin-premier Tech
Alpecin-premier Tech+0:39
8
Groupama-fdj United
Groupama-fdj United+0:41
9
Bahrain Victorious
Bahrain Victorious+0:47
10
Team Jayco Alula
Team Jayco Alula+0:51
11
EF Education - Easypost
EF Education - Easypost+0:57
12
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+0:57
13
Soudal Quick-step
Soudal Quick-step+0:58
14
UNO-X Mobility
UNO-X Mobility+1:00
15
Totalenergies
Totalenergies+1:02
16
Caja Rural-seguros Rga
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+1:12
17
Tudor Pro Cycling Team
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+1:14
18
Nsn Cycling Team
Nsn Cycling Team+1:16
19
Cofidis
Cofidis+1:17
20
Movistar Team
Movistar Team+1:18
21
Lotto Intermarche
Lotto Intermarche+1:36
22
Team Picnic Postnl
Team Picnic Postnl+1:55
23
XDS Astana Team
XDS Astana Team+2:18

Visma did start the race with the upper hand, though. They won the team time trial with Vingegaard being the last man for them as he stormed to victory in Barcelona. However, the win and the yellow jersey came at a cost. Matteo Jorgenson sacrificed his own GC chances and potential option for the team to win the stage for Vingegaard's benefit. He also continued in the teammate role on stage 2 on Montjuïc – he is now over eight and a half minutes down on his Danish leader. Meanwhile, UAE have two extremely strong cards to play that could leave Vingegaard very exposed even if he does have the legs to follow Pogačar in the mountains.

Vingegaard has yellow for now but Pogačar looked like he was just riding to the shops in the closing metres of today while Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) were clearly showing the strain of a huge effort to stay with the UAE duo. The strength in depth didn't work in the TTT but was shown in full on the first road stage. With the terrain to come, this looks like it should be Pogačar's Tour once again.

I will be very surprised if Pogačar doesn’t win with yet another Pogačar margin of victory. He looks to be so strong that this win may present virtually no difficulty to him. With his biggest rival already having a whole Grand Tour under the belt, the biggest threat to this Tour’s overall narrative is that the battle for yellow could become almost performative.

Stage 2 Results

Tarragone - Barcelone • Jul 5 • 168.5km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Isaac Del Toro
UAE Team Emirates XRG3:40:01
🥈
Tadej Pogacar
UAE Team Emirates XRG3:40:01
🥉
Remco Evenepoel
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe3:40:01
4
Jonas Vingegaard Hansen
Team Visma | Lease a Bike3:40:01
5
Mattias Skjelmose
Lidl-trek+0:03
6
Tobias Halland Johannessen
UNO-X Mobility+0:03
7
Romain Gregoire
Groupama-fdj United+0:03
8
Lenny Martinez
Bahrain Victorious+0:03
9
Paul Seixas
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+0:03
10
Tom Pidcock
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+0:03
11
Lennert Van Eetvelt
Lotto Intermarche+0:03
12
Juan Ayuso Pesquera
Lidl-trek+0:03
13
Ilan Van Wilder
Soudal Quick-step+0:03
14
Richard Carapaz
EF Education - Easypost+0:07
15
Alex Baudin
EF Education - Easypost+0:10
16
Florian Lipowitz
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+0:10
17
Cian Uijtdebroeks
Movistar Team+0:27
18
Adam Yates
UAE Team Emirates XRG+0:39
19
Sergio Andres Higuita Garcia
XDS Astana Team+0:43
20
Tobias Svendsen Foss
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+0:43
21
Thymen Arensman
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+0:47
22
Mathieu Van Der Poel
Alpecin-premier Tech+0:47
23
Egan Bernal Gomez
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+0:47
24
Alex Aranburu Deva
Cofidis+0:49
25
Harold Tejada Canacue
XDS Astana Team+0:51
26
Jose Felix Parra Cuerda
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+0:54
27
Yannis Voisard
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+1:10
28
Davide Piganzoli
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+1:10
29
Jordan Jegat
Totalenergies+1:10
30
Ion Izagirre Insausti
Cofidis+1:11
31
Javier Romo Oliver
Movistar Team+1:18
32
Abel Balderstone Roumens
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+1:18
33
Joris Delbove
Totalenergies+1:36
34
Sean Quinn
EF Education - Easypost+1:39
35
Torstein Traeen
UNO-X Mobility+1:55
36
Jai Hindley
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+1:55
37
Tiesj Benoot
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+1:55
38
Mathias Vacek
Lidl-trek+5:02
39
Brandon Mcnulty
UAE Team Emirates XRG+5:02
40
Ben Alexander O Connor
Team Jayco Alula+5:31
41
Matthew Riccitello
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+5:31
42
Guillaume Martin Guyonnet
Groupama-fdj United+5:31
43
George Bennett
Nsn Cycling Team+5:31
44
Lucas Plapp
Team Jayco Alula+5:31
45
Derek James Gee
Lidl-trek+5:31
46
Antonio Tiberi
Bahrain Victorious+5:44
47
Quinten Hermans
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+5:57
48
Matteo Jorgenson
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+6:03
49
Mauro Schmid
Team Jayco Alula+6:21
50
Bruno Armirail
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+6:52
51
Kevin Vauquelin
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+6:52
52
Sepp Kuss
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+6:52
53
Anders Halland Johannessen
UNO-X Mobility+6:52
54
Clement Braz Afonso
Groupama-fdj United+7:15
55
Anders Skaarseth
UNO-X Mobility+8:40
56
Pascal Eenkhoorn
Soudal Quick-step+9:28
57
Georg Steinhauser
EF Education - Easypost+9:28
58
Georg Zimmermann
Lotto Intermarche+9:28
59
Rick Pluimers
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+9:28
60
Robbe Dhondt
Team Picnic Postnl+9:28
61
Sebastian Berwick
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+9:28
62
Nicolas Prodhomme
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+9:28
63
Louis Vervaeke
Soudal Quick-step+9:28
64
Marc Hirschi
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+9:28
65
Lars Craps
Lotto Intermarche+9:28
66
Emiel Verstrynge
Alpecin-premier Tech+9:28
67
Christopher Harper
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+9:28
68
Ramses Debruyne
Alpecin-premier Tech+9:40
69
Quentin Pacher
Groupama-fdj United+10:24
70
Joel Nicolau Beltran
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+11:01
71
Maxim Van Gils
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+11:06
72
Xandro Meurisse
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+11:06
73
Damiano Caruso
Bahrain Victorious+11:06
74
Thibault Guernalec
Totalenergies+11:06
75
Marco Frigo
Nsn Cycling Team+11:06
76
Robert Stannard
Bahrain Victorious+11:06
77
Nelson Oliveira
Movistar Team+11:06
78
Lorenzo Germani
Groupama-fdj United+11:06
79
Ewen Costiou
Groupama-fdj United+11:06
80
Alexandre Delettre
Totalenergies+11:06
81
Matteo Vercher
Totalenergies+11:06
82
Nicolas Breuillard
Totalenergies+11:06
83
Mattia Cattaneo
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+11:06
84
Benjamin Thomas
Cofidis+11:06
85
Joshua Michael Tarling
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+11:06
86
Michal Kwiatkowski
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+11:06
87
Mike Teunissen
XDS Astana Team+11:06
88
Luke Durbridge
Team Jayco Alula+11:06
89
Dylan Van Baarle
Soudal Quick-step+11:06
90
Raul Garcia Pierna
Movistar Team+11:06
91
Julian Alaphilippe
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+11:06
92
Michael Matthews
Team Jayco Alula+11:57
93
Valentin Paret Peintre
Soudal Quick-step+12:08
94
Clement Russo
Groupama-fdj United+12:08
95
Niklas Maerkl
Team Picnic Postnl+12:08
96
Aurelien Paret Peintre
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+12:08
97
Aaron Murray Gate
XDS Astana Team+12:08
98
Victor Campenaerts
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+12:08
99
Tim Wellens
UAE Team Emirates XRG+12:08
100
Felix Grossschartner
UAE Team Emirates XRG+12:08
101
Mathis Le Berre
Totalenergies+12:08
102
Carlos Verona Quintanilla
Lidl-trek+12:08
103
Jonas Rickaert
Alpecin-premier Tech+12:08
104
Kasper Asgreen
EF Education - Easypost+12:08
105
Max Walker
EF Education - Easypost+12:16
106
Michael Valgren
EF Education - Easypost+12:16
107
Ben Healy
EF Education - Easypost+12:16
108
Michel Hessmann
Movistar Team+12:16
109
Jenno Berckmoes
Lotto Intermarche+12:16
110
Lewis Askey
Nsn Cycling Team+12:30
111
Edward Planckaert
Alpecin-premier Tech+12:47
112
Felix Engelhardt
Team Jayco Alula+13:33
113
Nils Politt
UAE Team Emirates XRG+13:33
114
Jonas Abrahamsen
UNO-X Mobility+13:33
115
Tom Van Asbroeck
Nsn Cycling Team+13:33
116
Silvan Dillier
Alpecin-premier Tech+13:33
117
Nicolya Vinokurov
XDS Astana Team+13:33
118
Hugo Page
Cofidis+13:33
119
Einer Augusto Rubio Reyes
Movistar Team+13:33
120
Nico Denz
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+13:33
121
Dorian Godon
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+13:33
122
Warren Barguil
Team Picnic Postnl+13:33
123
John Degenkolb
Team Picnic Postnl+13:33
124
Xabier Azparren Irurzun
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+13:33
125
Damien Craig Howson
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+13:33
126
Jefferson Cepeda
Movistar Team+13:33
127
Pablo Castrillo Zapater
Movistar Team+13:33
128
Tim Marsman
Alpecin-premier Tech+13:33
129
Anthon Charmig
UNO-X Mobility+13:33
130
Anthony Turgis
Totalenergies+13:33
131
Matis Louvel
Nsn Cycling Team+13:33
132
Jasper Philipsen
Alpecin-premier Tech+13:33
133
Jasper Stuyven
Soudal Quick-step+13:33
134
Brent Van Moer
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+13:33
135
Florian Vermeersch
UAE Team Emirates XRG+13:33
136
Tim Van Dijke
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+13:33
137
Frits Biesterbos
Team Picnic Postnl+13:33
138
Michael Storer
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+13:33
139
Pavel Bittner
Team Picnic Postnl+13:33
140
Stefano Oldani
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+13:33
141
Fernando Gaviria Rendon
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+13:33
142
Max Kanter
XDS Astana Team+13:33
143
Jenthe Biermans
Cofidis+13:33
144
Jakub Otruba
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+13:33
145
Toms Skujins
Lidl-trek+13:33
146
Krists Neilands
Nsn Cycling Team+13:33
147
Tim Merlier
Soudal Quick-step+13:33
148
Daan Hoole
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+13:33
149
Milan Fretin
Cofidis+13:46
150
Magnus Cort Nielsen
UNO-X Mobility+13:52
151
Matej Mohoric
Bahrain Victorious+13:56
152
Jan Tratnik
Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe+13:56
153
Quinn Simmons
Lidl-trek+13:56
154
Alex Kirsch
Cofidis+13:56
155
Thomas Jake Stewart
Nsn Cycling Team+13:56
156
Mads Pedersen
Lidl-trek+13:56
157
Biniam Girmay
Nsn Cycling Team+13:56
158
Arvid De Kleijn
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+13:56
159
Phil Bauhaus
Bahrain Victorious+13:56
160
Julius Van Den Berg
Team Picnic Postnl+13:56
161
Frank Van Den Broek
Team Picnic Postnl+13:56
162
Pascal Ackermann
Team Jayco Alula+13:56
163
Kamil Gradek
Bahrain Victorious+13:56
164
Simone Velasco
XDS Astana Team+13:56
165
Alex Molenaar
Caja Rural-seguros Rga+13:56
166
Piet Allegaert
Cofidis+13:56
167
Vlad Van Mechelen
Bahrain Victorious+14:20
168
Alfred Brockwell Wright
Pinarello-q36.5 Pro Cycling Team+14:20
169
Filippo Ganna
Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team+14:43
170
Bert Van Lerberghe
Soudal Quick-step+14:51
171
Per Strand Hagenes
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+15:02
172
Soeren Waerenskjold
UNO-X Mobility+15:06
173
Matteo Trentin
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+15:29
174
Huub Artz
Lotto Intermarche+15:29
175
Davide Ballerini
XDS Astana Team+15:44
176
Marco Haller
Tudor Pro Cycling Team+16:08
177
Liam Slock
Lotto Intermarche+16:33
178
Edoardo Affini
Team Visma | Lease a Bike+16:47
179
Kelland O Brien
Team Jayco Alula+17:49
180
Olav Kooij
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+18:08
181
Cees Bol
Decathlon Cma Cgm Team+18:08
182
Baptiste Veistroffer
Lotto Intermarche+18:25
183
Arnaud De Lie
Lotto Intermarche+18:25

Green jersey clues at Viladecans

Stage 2 saw the first intermediate sprint of the Tour this year and gave a good insight into who may be wanting to go for the green jersey this year. Behind the three riders in the break it was Biniam Girmay (NSN) who led in the peloton with 14 points ahead of a strong looking Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), with Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) coming in just behind. With intermediate sprints now worth 25 points to the winner under the 2026 rules, contesting them early carries real weight. Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) took it this time, but more points may see riders push hard for points later in the race.

However, there were some absentees in the intermediate sprint with Olav Kooij (Decathlon-CMA CGM) being the biggest name not present at the front as the Dutchman seems content to go for stage wins. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), Dorian Godon (Netcompany INEOS), Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor), Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL) and Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) were other names that all missed the sprint. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) was absent too, still dealing with illness that kept him from the team presentation before stage 1 with the Belgian finishing last on the stage, although well within the time cut. Girmay later lost contact when the pace rose on the Begues climb that came straight after the intermediate sprint, but his early engagement suggests the green jersey is already a priority.

Green jersey standings after stage 2

Velora
Rank
Rider
Team
Points
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

It is just two stages out of 21 but there already seems to be clear narratives appearing with the early decisions in the GC fight potentially shaping the whole race ahead for the better in the case of UAE and potentially for the worse for Visma while the others may just be looking to survive.

And in the sprints, Girmay takes an early boost but if Pedersen is in top form he will be very hard to beat over the three weeks with his climbing abilities giving him a massive advantage across the whole race and Girmay having to face him plus Merlier, Philipsen, Kooij and the rest in the sprint stages may mean the top points will be evenly spread and leave the fight for green wide open.

There is a lot to come in this race as attention turns to the Pyrenees and France.

Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com

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Tim Bonville-Ginn headshot

Tim Bonville-Ginn

Pro cycling contributor

Tim Bonville-Ginn is a freelance writer who has worked in cycling for well over a decade with his articles being featured across publications such as Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Cyclist, Rouleur, Eurosport, Road cc, Domestique, and more.

As well as writing, Tim has worked as a social media and press manager for professional teams Human Powered Health, Global 6, and Saint Piran across Europe as well as commentating on races such as the African Continental Championships, Tour de Feminin and multiple rounds of the British road and circuit series for Golazo and Monument Cycling.

Expertise:Racing