On stage 5 of the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar rode a near-perfect ride to take the white jersey safely in the pack after a relatively stress-free day. The 21-year-old, making his Tour de France debut, is just 7 seconds behind Adam Yates in the yellow jersey.

A first summit finish on stage 4 put the Slovenian in second place behind Primoz Roglic, and a mountain finish on stage 6 gave the UAE Team Emirates leader a chance to establish himself as a true GC contender.

The quiet Pogacar is not feeling the pressure or nerves that come with competing in the Tour. According to his directeur sportif, Alain Piper, the young climber remains calm about the overall standings and is not too attached to how the race unfolds over the next few weeks.

"He's doing well. He's confident and he's a really good kid. He listens well and is getting to the top every day. He's making all his splits and he's very focused. Piper told Cycling News in the car on the way to the team hotel after stage 5.

"He's in the white and doesn't have big expectations of what he's going to do.

Piper emphasized that the team environment at UAE Team Emirates is having an impact on the youngster. The team won its first stage win and the yellow jersey by Alexander Kristoff.

The team also has a strong core group of climbers, including Davide Formolo, David de la Cruz, Jan Polancu, and former Vuelta a España winner Fabio Aru. While the team is not leading as much as Jumbo Visma, it has been consistent about placing Pogacar near the front when it really matters.

"The team works well around him, and there's a great atmosphere on the bus, at the dinner table, and in the race," Piper told Cycling News. 'The team is really dedicated to him and he's a kid who wants to race. He asked Davide Formolo to attack him with 5km to go in stage 4. He is a racer. He makes good positions on the flats and he's going to be a presence on the next few stages.

"I don't know if he will give up time or keep his current position, but the conditions are getting better and I think he will come into his own in the final week anyway."

Stage 6 of the Tour de France continues with a summit finish in Mont Egoual. CyclingNews will provide complete live coverage of this stage.