Tadej Pogacar over the rainbow as his 2025 season opens with UAE Tour
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UAE Team Emirates' Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar attending a press conference on the eve of the UAE Tour cycling race at the Colnago shop in Abu Dhabi on Feb 16, 2025.
PHOTO: AFP
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ABU DHABI – The world’s top cyclist Tadej Pogacar opens his 2025 season at the UAE Tour on Feb 17 and says he cannot wait to ride out in his world champion’s rainbow jersey on his team’s “home” soil.
The 26-year-old Slovenian is a sizzling hot favourite to bag a third title in the seven-day race following his triple crown in 2024, when he amassed the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the world title.
As champion, the UAE Team Emirates rider will sport the eye-catching shirt all season.
“Finally, I have the rainbow jersey. It feels unreal to ride every day with it and to come here in the home country of the team with this jersey is amazing.”
Also racing is defending champion Belgian Lennert van Eetvelt and a host of top-drawer sprinters, led by Belgian duo Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen, who can look forward to four flat stages along the route.
There are also two mountain ones and a time trial, but Pogacar said the key to winning the race will be coping when the desert winds split the peloton on those flat stages.
“I believe the biggest gaps can open in echelons in the crosswinds,” he said on Feb 16.
Crosswinds recently played havoc on the Saudi Arabian Al-Ula Tour, won by Tom Pidcock.
“I’m eager and motivated to start the season, I’ll give my best,” said Pogacar, who shot from obscurity to prominence on the 2020 Tour de France, when he pulled off a last-gasp turnaround to win at only 21.
“I’ve started every single season with some doubts about my preparation. I hope my shape is good enough to compete at the highest level again. Fingers crossed that it’s like last year,” he added of 2024, when he beat rival Jonas Vingegaard to the Tour title.
It remains to be confirmed whether he will defend the Giro, but he will race the Tour de France and September’s world championships in Rwanda.
On Feb 17, 20 teams embarked on a 138km flat opening stage from Madinat Zayed to Liwe Palace before a 12.2km time trial on Feb 18 and a mountain finish on stage 3 at Jebel Jais.
This is followed by three flat stages where Philipsen and Merlier take centre stage. Three other sprinters to watch are Olav Kooij, Dylan Groenewegen and Fabio Jakobsen.
Pogacar is likely to have to wrap up the win on the final seventh stage at Jebel Hafeet, with Pello Bilbao expected to pose a challenge.
Veteran four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome is also on the starting roster.
Meanwhile, former Tour de France champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist Geraint Thomas will retire as a racing cyclist at the end of the season, the Briton said in a social media post on Feb 17.
The 38-year-old won the Tour de France in 2018, after securing gold for Britain in the team pursuit at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He was also part of the British team pursuit outfit that won gold at the Track Cycling World Championships in 2007, 2008 and 2012.
“Thought it was time we made it official. Yes, this will be my last year in the peloton,” Thomas posted on X.
“It’s not been a bad run, eh? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being a pro for 19 years.” AFP, REUTERS
