2 second places, but no third time lucky for Dylan Groenewegen at the AlUla Tour: "We came for the victory, but it is what it is"
Cycling
The AlUla Tour came to a close yesterday, with Tom Pidcock
securing the overall victory, but for Team Jayco AlUla, it was a race filled
with near misses and moments of what could have been.
On the final stage, Dylan Groenewegen came agonisingly close
to victory once again, finishing in second place. It marked his third runner-up
finish of the race, following another second place on stage three, while Alan
Hatherly also finished as runner-up on stage four behind overall winner Pidcock.
Hatherly had started the last stage sitting in third place
on the general classification, but a chaotic day in the crosswinds saw him slip
down the standings, missing out on a spot on the final podium. Despite this
setback, the world mountain bike champion showed his talent in his first race
with the team, leaving both himself and Jayco AlUla optimistic about his
potential on the road.
Reflecting on the final stage, Groenewegen shared his
thoughts in a team press release:
"It was a hard day, but we knew that it would be
because of the wind, there were some really open parts in the desert. So it
made it a really nice day for racing, but also really hard.
“The first echelon we missed a little bit, but after that in
the final I think we were really sharp. In the final the boys did really well
and kept me out of the wind, they did a really good job.
“Maybe with 300 to go I was a bit squeezed in and in the
end, I was a little bit too late, I came with speed, but Moschetti had really
good timing and that was necessary today. It’s two times second for me, we came
for the victory, but it is what it is."
Despite missing out on the stage win, Groenewegen and Jayco
can be content that they showed early promise in 2025.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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