Despite stage 1 win at the 2025 Vuelta a Andalucia, Maxim van Gils has concerns: “UAE has a very strong team here... I am a bit afraid of that"
Cycling
Maxim van Gils' chances didn't look great heading into the finale of stage 1 at the 2025 Vuelta a Andalucia, outnumbered by UAE Team Emirates - XRG teammates Tim Wellens and Pavel Sivakov. Despite repeated one-two attacks by his rivals though, Van Gils held firm to take the stage win and the race lead in a thrilling finale.
“It was a really tough and hot stage. I think everyone felt it in their legs. No team was able to really control the stage. UAE Team Emirates - XRG is here with several leaders and they also tried to play their cards. So for me it was important to anticipate,” reflects the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe star in his post-stage interview afterwards. “I know Tim quite well. I rode in his team. I know that I am faster in the sprint and so it is important not to let him ride away. I had to try to keep everything together and then gamble on the sprint.”
Van Gils won the reduced, one-stage Vuelta a Andalucia in 2024 but this proper victory must mean a whole lot more to the Belgian. “My victory last year had a bit more prestige, because it was a high-level time trial,” he assesses. “But this victory is also special. I was incredibly motivated before the start, with last year still in the back of my mind. I am very proud of myself.”
Finally, Van Gils attempts to keep his feet firmly rooted to the ground. Despite his stage win and the fact he outfoxed the UAE duo in the finale, Van Gils is well aware of the threat his rival team will continue to pose in the coming days. “UAE has a very strong team here. They will try to play that out in the coming days. I am also a bit afraid of that. I hope that my team can absorb it all,” he concludes.
Stage 1 - 2025 Vuelta a Andalucia
| 1 | Van Gils Maxim | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 20 | 04:19:23 |
| 2 | Wellens Tim | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 15 | + 00 |
| 3 | Sivakov Pavel | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 10 | + 07 |
| 4 | Soler Marc | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 5 | + 30 |
| 5 | Berthet Clément | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | 3 | + 30 |
| 6 | Leknessund Andreas | Uno-X Mobility | + 33 | |
| 7 | Cras Steff | Team TotalEnergies | + 39 | |
| 8 | Pidcock Tom | Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team | + 39 | |
| 9 | Arrieta Igor | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 01:38 | |
| 10 | Gachignard Thomas | Team TotalEnergies | + 01:40 | |
| 11 | Staune-Mittet Johannes | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 01:40 | |
| 12 | Hoelgaard Markus | Uno-X Mobility | + 01:45 |
VAN GILS TIENE ALAS 🛫
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) February 19, 2025
Logra su primera victoria con Red Bull comiéndose a dos UAE 🔥#100VCA #AIOCCC pic.twitter.com/e20OqZT6ZT
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- To quote the article: riders from Arkéa - B&B Hotels and a few others seized the moment to launch an attack, increasing the pace as Pogacar was briefly off the bike. Not coolmij08-04-2025
- I don’t think it was a matter of easing up. I think it was a matter of attacking. And MVDP said his team would respect similar situations. Perhaps not on the penultimate climb, but I believe they would. To accelerate is a jerk move.mij08-04-2025
- change the cycling forever? relax, please.
maria2024202408-04-2025 - His basic attitude always has been (and we know age often reinforces inherent values), if I’m going down I’m going to try taking you with me.Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- I know it’s tradition and nice but to make the discussion more interesting, if an Arkea rider had driven up to tell Alpecin or UAE to ease off for Mozzato or Vauquelin having a P, would they have been as gentlemanly?Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- That’s probably about right although if they’d talked it over it would have been in all their interests to work together to chase Pog down because those 4 arriving at the finish in that scenario would have left all 4 with a chance of victory.Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- Exactly, that easily makes for a minute at the front. You don’t see Pog cracking often either (less often than MVDP even) but when he does it’s lights out and over too. This is completely normal and to be expected, at the level of competitiveness all these guys are they only crack once they’ve pushed beyond their manageable limit and there’s no coming back from that. When your rival forces you into the red to keep or catch up, it’s over, in that respect, well done to WVA who seems to be world champion in staying just outside the red for as long as he can.Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- If I remember well, Pidcock slowed, whether out of respect or strategically or just happy he could ease off a bit, only he knows. Your point?Mistermaumau08-04-2025
- I believe Mathieu rather gets beaten by a stronger rider than one who raced smarter. That is why he wanted to team up with Pogacar to drop the JV riders and Mads who were not helping in the chase of the first group since they had a teammate up front.JoostMehrtens08-04-2025
- Just shows that LA is not truly repentant. JUSTICE was served. No winner, no second , no third on the podium for those 7 years. No real winners could be determined, ever. Lance got to keep most of his money , he really should can it . He is toxic to cycling.dave08-04-2025