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Saturday, February 22, 2025
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
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Current racing:
- February 17 - 23: UAE Tour
- February 19 - 23: Volta ao Algarve
- February 22 - 23: Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
Upcoming racing:
- February 26 - March 2: O Gran Camiño
- March 1: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Latest completed racing:
- February 14 - 16: Tour de la Provence
- February 16: Clásica de Almeria
- February 15: Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia
- February 8 - 12: Tour of Oman
- February 5 - 9 Etoile de Bessèges/Tour du Gard
- February 5 - 9: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- February 7: Muscat Classic
- February 1 & 2: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
- February 2: GP La Marseillaise
- January 29 - February 2: Challenge Vuelta a Mallorca
We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the report from stage winner Tim Merlier's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Soudal Quick-Step reaches 990 victories after the Belgian’s superb sprint in the Middle East.
Tim Merlier continued to write history at the UAE Tour by becoming the first rider since the race’s inception to claim six stage victories at the World Tour event, where Friday afternoon he unleashed another trademark long sprint to reign supreme in Dubai.
Tim Merlier wins UAE Tour stage five. Photo: Dario Berlingheri/Getty Images
It was a fast day of racing, the peloton averaging more than 48km/h on the pan-flat route of the fifth stage – the fastest ever here – which was animated by an 11-man breakaway, brought back thanks to a superb effort of the Soudal Quick-Step boys, who once again did a magnificent job in the peloton while making sure their sprinter remained protected and out of the wind at all times.
The finale was marred by two crashes in the space of three kilometers, but fortunately the European Champion wasn’t involved in any of these incidents, and after being deployed by the excellent Bert Van Lerberghe in the wheel of the green jersey, he came out of that slipstream with around 250 meters to go and thanks to a ferocious turn of legs, blasted to a spectacular victory – our first World Tour one of the season.
“It’s the third consecutive year that I won a stage at this race and I’m happy we were able to pull it off today. The team did a flawless job today and made sure I was where I needed to be in the final kilometer, where I could choose the right moment to start my sprint. We learned from what happened yesterday and I am delighted that we can celebrate a victory today at this race that I like a lot. There will be one more opportunity for the sprinters on Saturday and we’ll do our best to be again in the mix”, said Tim after delivering Soudal Quick-Step’s 990th all-time victory.
Here's the UAE Tour report from GC leader Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates:
It was a successful day of both offence and defence for UAE Team Emirates-XRG across the three concurrent stage races. Tadej Pogačar put on a show in the red jersey at the UAE Tour, whilst Pavel Sivakov and Jan Christen retained their yellow leader’s jerseys at the Vuelta a Andalucía and Volta ao Algarve, respectively.
At the UAE Tour, what began as a quiet day soon turned into a spectacle for both those at road side and those watching on from home. Needless to say, it was UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Pogačar who animated proceedings, with the race leader not content with just taking things easy.
Tadej Pogacar leads the break.
With a small breakaway up the road and the peloton in nonchalent mood, the world champion quietly made his way up the side of the pack and with a tap on the back of his teammate Domen Novak, the gauntlet was thrown. Sensing a lull in the pace, Novak and Pogačar attacked with only 10km of racing in the legs.
Their move took a flabbergasted peloton by surprise, with just a few riders aware to the threat. As Novak and Pogačar stomped on the pedals, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG pair were joined by Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto), Victor Langellotti (Ineos Grenadiers), Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Wanty) and Roberto Carlos González (Solution Tech-Vini Fantini). Under Pogačar’s onus, this surprise attack saw the small group bridge across to the riders up the road and form the day’s definitive breakaway.
With the gap out to over two minutes by the first intermediate sprint, Pogačar made the most of the opportunity to sweep up three bonus seconds at the Al Qudra Cycle Track.
The breakaway was ultimately caught with 39km to ride, at which point Rune Herregodts and Jay Vine came to the fore to deliver UAE Team Emirates-XRG safely to the line – a job made all the more important by a late crash within the group. Safely surrounded by his teammates, Pogačar came over the finish line with his race lead extended by three seconds, and with 100km of breakaway action in his legs.
Another day, another job well done by Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates. Only two stages remain over the weekend.
Pogačar: “Me and Domen were coming back from a nature break and then it just happened that we rolled through the bunch. I was thinking of our ride at the Volta a Catalunya last year, which was good fun. Today, some riders followed, we formed a breakaway and then we just committed to it. It was a good day out trying to live the breakaway life!
“Today was a nice day out, a bit of hard racing and tomorrow I hope for a more quiet stage.”
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Here's the UAE Tour report from stage five second-place Matteo Malucelli's Team XDS-Astana:
The fifth stage of the UAE Tour ended with a sprint in Dubai near Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. In the final five kilometers of the race, several serious crashes occurred, affecting the race outcome. Aaron Gate was involved in one of the crashes but managed to continue and finish the race.
Matteo Malucelli secured an excellent position before the final corner and, after executing a strong sprint, finished in second place.
Stage five had a profile perfect for sprinters.
“Yesterday, we had a team meeting where we discussed the details of today's stage. The most important thing was to be well-positioned in the last two kilometers, and with the support of my teammates, I managed to achieve that – the guys did a great job bringing me to the front at the right moment. I entered the final corneron Merlier's wheel and tried to come around him, but it didn’t work – Tim Merlier had a very powerful sprint. Nevertheless, I can be satisfied with today; the team worked excellently, the bike allowed me to reach high speed, so the sprint went well. Well, today I was close to victory and showed a good result, which gives me motivation for tomorrow. We will try again”, – said Matteo Malucelli.
Sergio Higuita did not start the fifth stage due to illness.
Here's the UAE Tour report from fifth-place Oded Kogut's Team Israel-Premier Tech:
Israeli champion Oded Kogut delivered a standout performance against some of the world’s top sprinters, securing an impressive fifth place in Stage 5 of the UAE Tour in Dubai on Friday.
This marks the best result of Kogut’s career at the elite WorldTour level, matching the achievement of his teammate Itamar Einhorn, who also finished fifth in a stage of the Vuelta a España in 2021.
Oded Kogut before the stage start.
At just 24 years old, the Haifa-born sprinter has already made his mark, winning a stage at Cro Race late last season, his first professional victory with Israel – Premier Tech.
But today, he went head-to-head with some of the biggest names in the sport, including European champion Tim Merlier, who took the stage win, and the in-form Jonathan Milan, who finished third, just ahead of Kogut.
Kogut says: “I always race to win, but I’m definitely happy to prove that I can compete with the world’s best sprinters, For me, there was never a doubt — if I didn’t believe I could beat them, I wouldn’t have fought so hard to finish fifth.”
"And with a bit more luck, the result could have been even better. Throughout the stage’s 160km route, which started at Dubai’s American University and finished at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, Kogut received strong support from his teammates — including Tour de France champion Chris Froome — who protected him from the wind and kept him well-positioned.
However, a crash just before the final turn forced Kogut to slow down, leaving him with no choice but to launch a long sprint to close the gap to the front.
“I lost a lot of energy at that moment, and that’s what cost me in the end,” he says.
Kogut’s and his teammates’ performance today has boosted IPT’s confidence heading into another sprint finish tomorrow in Abu Dhabi. “We all believe in him,” said Sports Director Dror Pekatch. “Today, he proved exactly why.”
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Here's the race organizer's report:
The Alto da Foia gave a chance to make some differences in the General Classification, but after a more broken finish, the third stage of the Volta ao Algarve this Friday ended in a sprint.
An Avenida Zeca Afonso packed with an enthusiastic crowd watched Jordi Meeus (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) take victory on day three of the Algarvia, after a thrilling finish that was decided down to the last detail.
Here they come...
“It’s my first official win of the season, so I’m very happy. I felt really good, the finish suited me, with a slight climb, and then I just had to manage the timings. I managed the last corner well and then the timing of the sprint was perfect”, said the Belgian rider.
Just like the day before, it didn’t take long for the race to change: after an unsuccessful first attempt by Carlos Salgueiro (AP Hotels & Resorts / Tavira / SC Farense) – who won the day’s Cofidis Combativity Prize – a breakaway of ten riders, again with Salgueiro, managed to break away from the peloton at kilometer five.
From then on, and for much of the afternoon, it was a steady race. The bunch always controlled the front group, despite some oscillations, and grew closer as time went by.
The first mountain count, in Mercador, was still dominated by the breakaway and led by Calum Johnston (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), but just over 40 kilometers later, in the second count of the day, in Faz Fato, the peloton was all together. There, Nicolás Tivani stood out, ending the stage as the owner of the Save Water Blue Jersey.
And then there was the crescendo to the final sprint. The peloton remained tightly packed, Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) took the lead at the only intermediate sprint of the day, in Vila Real de Santo António, and attention turned to the finishing straight, on Avenida Zeca Afonso, packed with a crowd that intensely witnessed the last few meters of the race.
Tavira crowned Jordi Meeus (Red Bull – Bora – hansgrohe) as the stage winner – and the new Crédito Agrícola Green Jersey – ahead of Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Cycling Team), the other two men on the podium.
Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) was the second to cross the finish line, but was relegated to last place in the bunch due to an irregular sprint.
In the top-10 of the GC, there was one noted change: Romain Bardet, from Team Picnic PostNL, was fourth, but abandoned the race after a crash and allowed António Morgado (UAE Team Emirates XRG) to move up a position.
This means that Jan Christen, also of UAE Team Emirates XRG, remains the Visit Algarve Yellow Jersey, four seconds ahead of teammate João Almeida. Laurens De Plus of INEOS Grenadiers is in third.
The Algarve continues this Saturday with the fourth stage, linking Albufeira to Faro, on a 175.2-kilometer course that promises a busy race.
The day will also be marked by the Algarve Granfondo, starting and finishing in Faro. The start is scheduled for 8.30 a.m., in an initiative that will have participants from more than 30 countries and offers fans of the sport the chance to race on the same circuit as the cyclists taking part in the Volta ao Algarve.
Here's the report from fourth-place Arnaud De Lie's Team Lotto:
Arnaud secured a strong 4th place in the third stage of the Volta ao Algarve. "I'm feeling better and better every day; I just lacked that final punch today."
Stage three of the Volta ao Algarve ended with an uphill sprint—perfect conditions for Arnaud De Lie, who had marked and studied this stage in advance. He sprinted to a solid fourth place. "My legs felt good, and I put in a strong sprint," he said afterward. "The team did a great job as well; I think we executed our plan well. The roundabout in the final caused a crash again, just like last year. But our lead-out went well, and our positioning was okay. I just missed that final punch at the end to really make the difference in the sprint."
Jordi Meeus takes the stage win.
Despite that, De Lie remains satisfied. "I have a bit of a blocked nose, but I feel that things are improving every day. I'm not at 100 percent yet—let’s say 80 (laughs). Tomorrow brings a new opportunity."
Here's the Algarve Tour report from seventh-place Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:
Wout van Aert crossed the line in seventh place in the third stage of the Volta ao Algarve. The Belgian rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike found himself out of optimal position in the final few hundred meters, leaving a podium finish out of reach.
The third stage was largely uneventful, allowing Van Aert and his teammates to focus early on the sprint—one he won last year. After the sprinters’ teams were denied their chance in the opening stage due to chaos in the finale, it quickly became clear that a bunch sprint was inevitable this time.
Wout van Aert winning 2024 Vuelta a España stage 10. Sirotti photo
In the final kilometers, Van Aert was well-positioned at the front, thanks in part to Tiesj Benoot. With many fast men eyeing the stage win, the fight for position was intense. Jordi Meeus ultimately took the victory, while Van Aert, coming from a seemingly lost position, managed to sprint to seventh place.
“I was in a good position going into the final kilometer but lost it”, Van Aert said afterwards. “It was a very calm day, but the speed at the end was incredibly high. I lost my spot at a roundabout with 800 meters to go and gave away too many places to launch a proper sprint.”
Still, the Belgian saw a positive takeaway. “My sprint itself was good. It’s hard to judge the full picture when you have to come from behind, but I’m happy I could be in the mix and be part of the fight for the win. That’s definitely a good feeling”, Van Aert concluded.
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Team Picnic-PostNL posted this Algarve Tour stage three report:
The third stage of the Volta ao Algarve took the peloton over a rolling course but always looked like a prime opportunity for the sprinters. The early breakaway was caught at the foot of the final climb, with the bunch cresting the summit all together. With 23 kilometers to go, the race was shaken up by a crash involving Romain Bardet and Romain Combaud. Combaud was able to continue, but after a roadside check, the team and Bardet decided that the Frenchman would abandon the race, keeping his health and long-term goals in mind.
Romain Bardet before the start of the 2024 Tour of Piedmont. Sirotti photo
From there, the focus shifted to the sprint. Team Picnic PostNL worked strongly as a unit at the front of the bunch to position Casper van Uden for the finale. Bram Welten delivered a strong lead-out, but Van Uden had to launch his sprint just a little too early. Despite a long, powerful effort, he was passed in the final metres and crossed the line in fifth place.
After the stage Van Uden said: “First of all, it’s a shame to lose Romain in this race. Hopefully, he’s doing alright. His abandon gave us extra motivation to fight for a strong result. I think we did a lot of things really well, even though I might have launched my sprint just a little too early. We gave it our best, and overall, I think we can be happy with our performance today.”
And here's the Volta ao Algarve report from Team Groupama-FDJ:
This time, the peloton sprinted on the right road in Algarve. In Tavira, finish of the third stage, a bunch sprint concluded the day as expected, and Johan Jacobs (11th) as well as Lewis Askey (12th) finished just outside the top 10. Jordi Meeus won the stage while Romain Grégoire safely reached the finish line and now sits in ninth place overall.
After missing an opportunity on Wednesday, the sprinters absolutely didn’t want to make another chance slip away this Friday on the Tour of the Algarve. Although it was made up of ten riders, the day’s breakaway therefore never had a chance against the peloton over the 183 kilometres leading to Tavira. The gap never reached four minutes, and everything even came back together with more than fifty kilometres to go. Then, the riders dealt with some hectic sequences and calmer ones.
“The guys worked well so that Romain would always be protected, wouldn’t get trapped, and wouldn’t lose time,” explained Frédéric Guesdon. “We also wanted to possibly contest the bonus sprint twenty-four kilometres from the finish, but we got a bit outflanked at that point.” Perfectly attentive during the various accelerations in the final, Groupama-FDJ was then able to safely bring their young leader to his destination, meaning at three kilometres to go.
Romain Grégoire racing in the 2024 Tirreno-Adriatico. Sirotti photo
The fierce battle for positioning was then underway. “We tried to go for the sprint with Lewis, and the guys tried to bring him up in the final,” added Frédéric. “The goal was to position him with one or two kilometres to go, then Lewis had to manage on his own because he’s good at making his way through. After doing his job, Johan stayed a bit behind, waiting, and it finally opened up in front of him. He kept his effort going to enjoy himself and try to do a small result”.
The Swiss rider and his British teammate eventually reached the finish almost on the same line, in eleventh and twelfth positions respectively, a few lengths behind the winner Jordi Meeus. “The day went without trouble for us, and that’s already a good thing,” said Frédéric. “You shouldn’t take that for granted at the start of the season, on these courses and with the stress. It’s a positive day.”
Romain Grégoire also gained two places overall on Friday but remains twenty-six seconds behind the leader Jan Christen. “Tomorrow should be a great stage,” concluded Frédéric. “The route at the start is hard with the climb of Malhao. I think there could be some action for a while, and we will try to join it. The other goal will obviously be to protect Romain so that everything goes well before the final time trial”.
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