“For me this was the ideal situation” - Tim Wellens joins teammate Tadej Pogacar on Strade Bianche 2025 podium

UAE Team Emirates - XRG continue to lead the way in the peloton in 2025. At Strade Bianche 2025 on Saturday afternoon, race winner Tadej Pogacar was joined on the final podium by teammate Tim Wellens following another epic display from the team.

“For me this was the ideal situation”, Wellens reflected afterwards in a post-race interview with VTM NIEUWS. “I am happy that I can stand on the podium of this beautiful race again. As a team we did it perfectly. Tadej left a bit earlier than expected, but when Tom Pidcock (finished 2nd ed.) started he had to react. And I was in a perfect situation behind them, because I didn't have to do any work in the chase.”

Despite a scary moment at around 50km to go when Pogacar slid out at high speed and ended up bloodied on a grass verge, the Slovenian re-attached himself with Pidcock at the front of the race shortly after, before then dropping the Brit inside the final 20km. As it turns out, when Pogacar attacked again near the finale, Wellens, who was safely nestled in the chase group behind, saw it as perfect timing to launch his own move. “When I heard that Tadej attacked, I thought it was the moment for me too,” he laughs in conclusion.