"Almost impossible to beat him on the climbs" - Not even Tadej Pogacar's biggest rivals have many hopes of taking UAE Tour win
Cycling
At the start of the UAE Tour we're able to see an incredibly luxurious sprinter field but not many top climbers or classics riders. Tadej Pogacar is the race's big headliner and without a doubt his presence overshadows the GC fight hopes - and some of his main rivals including Pello Bilbao do not see much of a way to beat him.
"I know this year is going to be really complicated to go for the victory, but we want to do something different to make a good challenge here," the Basque riders said in a pre-race press conference, where he joined a star-studded lineup featuring Pogacar; defending champion Lennert van Eetvelt; and sprinters Jonathan Milan, Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen.
"I would say, comparing with the numbers, it's almost impossible to beat him on the climbs. So the only possibility is to find a surprise during a difficult moment in the race. But even like that, I think it's going to be super hard."
In 2024 the Slovenian was spotless and unbeatable when terrain like this presented itself. If in 2025 we see the same version of the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider, then the modest field in the UAE will have to settle for minor places. This being a big goal for Pogacar's team assures that he will likely come with good form, and on the summit finishes to Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet he will be the man to beat.
The time-trial on stage 2 won't make things any easier for his rivals, the opposite is actually the case. "It's a short time trial again. The difference between the best is not going to be huge, though, maybe in the fight for the podium it can be a decider," the veteran continued. "But I don't think it's going to be too important for the GC."
On stage 1 Bilbao finished 39th on the day, he and Rainer Kepplinger will look towards a strong time-trial so as to enter the mountain stages in a good position overall.
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🇦🇪 #UAETour
— Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) February 16, 2025
🙌 @PelloBilbao1990 with the top riders at the press conference and meet & greet @uae_tour #RideAsOne #rideforGino pic.twitter.com/uojay4sy7k
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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