Tadej Pogacar relinquished both the yellow and polka dot jerseys during the Tour de France for unknown reasons.
In the ongoing 2025 Tour de France, world champion Tadej Pogačar has given up the yellow, polka dot, and points classification leads. This shift was primarily due to the challenging nature of the race and tactical dynamics following stage seven.
Pogačar, who normally represents UAE Team Emirates-XRG in the Tour de France, is currently participating without the yellow or polka dot jersey. His team, UAE, has stated that they were not deliberately trying to give up the yellow jersey, but they are not unhappy that it happened.
The green jersey, which represents the points classification, was always going to be passed to one of the sprinters after the intermediate sprint. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) is now in control of the points classification, having executed a strong, focused campaign in the final stages. Milan's consistent sprint results and intermediate sprint efforts have prevented Pogačar from holding onto the green jersey.
Pogačar's strategic focus on securing the overall yellow jersey rather than chasing stage wins or secondary jerseys has also contributed to letting these classification leads slip. He conserved energy for the overall victory rather than competing aggressively for every jersey.
Meanwhile, Tim Wellens, a teammate of Pogačar, is currently leading the king of the mountains competition. Wellens intentionally took points on the Côte de la Rançonnière to regain the lead in the competition.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is currently leading the race, but Pogačar might regain the yellow jersey on stage seven, given the steep finish in Mûr-de-Bretagne. However, the race features several flat stages favoring sprinters, which could allow other riders like Milan to maintain their leads.
Pogačar deliberately allowed a seven-minute advantage for a break during the race, indicating he was willing to give up the race lead. The polka dot jersey, which represents the mountains classification, is a distraction for Pogačar, as he is not aiming to win mountains points.
If it had been another rider who could challenge in the mountains, the situation might be more complicated, as seen in the Vuelta a España last summer when Ben O'Connor claimed the race lead. However, with Wellens in the polka dots, Pogačar has more time to focus on the Tour de France.
The race leader's team traditionally leads the race, and while Pogačar's team might have a second's advantage, it is still something. The team tried to organize things so Pogačar was out of the polka dots for the time trial on stage five, but this did not work. Despite losing these leads, Pogačar remains a strong contender for the overall Tour de France victory.
Tadej Pogačar, despite his strategic focus on securing the overall yellow jersey, has let go of the green, polka dot, and points classification leads in the 2025 Tour de France. His teammate Tim Wellens, on the other hand, is currently leading the king of the mountains competition.
