Woohoo! Racing is back—and lots of it. On Saturday and Sunday, there was plenty of action, from the UAE to Portugal and France.
Pogi starts off 2025 like he ended 2024
Tadej Pogačar is back and winning again. He claimed his first stage race title of the season and a third overall UAE Tour victory on Sunday, dominating both summit finishes, including a decisive attack on Jebel Hafeet with 7.8 km to go. Echelons shattered the peloton before the climb, while a crash took Chris Froome and others out of the race. Pogačar had already set up his triumph with a win on Jebel Jais. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) secured podium spots by finishing second and third on Jebel Hafeet, overtaking Ivan Romeo (Movistar) and time trial winner Joshua Tarling. Romeo’s consolation was the young rider’s jersey. Pier-André Côté was the top Canadian, 39th on Stage 7 and overall.
Jonas Vingegaard also victorious
On the same day Pogačar lifted the UAE Tour trophy, Jonas Vingegaard secured his first win of the season by claiming both the Stage 5 time trial and overall victory at the Volta ao Algarve. The 19.6-km test ended on the punishing Alto do Malhão, where Wout van Aert briefly held the hot seat before Vingegaard smashed his time to seal the title. João Almeida finished second overall, while Laurens De Plus took third. Earlier in the race, UAE-Emirates had dominated with Jan Christen and Almeida going one-two on Alto de Foia, and Christen leading the GC after two sprint stages.
Scaroni takes Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
Christian Scaroni won a stage and the GC at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes in France. The XDS Astana Team rider won Stage 1—Contes to Gourdon (162.4 km)—and took the overall lead. Canada’s Julien Matisse (CIC U Nantes) finished 88th on Stage 1 but DNFed on the tough second stage.
Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) won Stage 2, Villefranche-sur-Mer to Vence (131.8 km). Scaroni finished in the same time as the leading group in 20th and held on for the overall.
Sivakov wins Ruta del Sol, Wollaston takes Clásica de Almería
The five-day Vuelta a Andalucía Ruta Ciclista Del Sol wrapped up Sunday, with another UAE rider, Pavel Sivakov, taking the overall win. One Canadian was in the mix—Nickolas Zukowsky (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) finishing a respectable 40th overall.
On Sunday, the one-day Clásica de Almería women’s race took place in Spain, with Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) winning the 133.1-km event….
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