"I can still improve" insists UAE revelation Antonio Morgado after stunning start to 2025
CyclingSaturday, 22 February 2025 at 16:15
Antonio Morgado has been one of the standout riders of the early 2025 season. The 21-year-old Portuguese has added two wins to his palmares already, and after three stages of the Volta ao Algarve, sits 5th in the general classification having out-climbed both Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard on the stage 2 summit finish.
Ahead of stage 4, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider was asked to reflect on his form over recent weeks. "It can still improve but it's not bad," Morgado shrugs nonchalantly in conversation with Sporza, clearly keeping his feet firmly on the ground despite the vast success and subsequent praise so far this season.
Having already proven his one-day capabilities this year with wins at Gran Premio Castellon and the Figueira Champions Classic, the Portuguese heads to the Spring Classics full of confidence. In particular, a return to the Tour of Flanders, where he finished 5th in 2024 is in focus for Morgado. "It's a beautiful race, I like it very much," he previews. "It was my favourite race last year. I will try to repeat my performance from then."
Read also
2025 Volta ao Algarve GC after stage 3
| 1 | Christen Jan | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 08:47:08 |
| 2 | Almeida Joao | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 04 |
| 3 | De Plus Laurens | INEOS Grenadiers | + 13 |
| 4 | Morgado António | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 20 |
| 5 | Vingegaard Jonas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 20 |
| 6 | Vergallito Luca | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 20 |
| 7 | Roglic Primoz | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 23 |
| 8 | Geoghegan Hart Tao | Lidl-Trek | + 23 |
| 9 | Grégoire Romain | Groupama-FDJ | + 26 |
| 10 | Powless Neilson | EF Education-EasyPost | + 26 |
| 11 | Teuns Dylan | Cofidis | + 29 |
| 12 | Van Wilder Ilan | Soudal Quick-Step | + 29 |
| 13 | Schachmann Max | Soudal Quick-Step | + 29 |
| 14 | Hermans Quinten | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 29 |
| 15 | Vacek Mathias | Lidl-Trek | + 40 |
| 16 | Livyns Arjen | Lotto | + 01:00 |
| 17 | Stork Florian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 01:03 |
| 18 | Poole Max | Team Picnic PostNL | + 01:03 |
| 19 | Großschartner Felix | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 01:07 |
| 20 | Arensman Thymen | INEOS Grenadiers | + 01:13 |
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- You’re confusing me now and not only whether it was 20s or 30s So Del Toro was really chasing and Lipo just sucking? So first he was holding back to help Remco voluntarily but then he refused to help Remco when asked and held back again?Mistermaumau10-07-2026
- Oh shutup
Johnnys210-07-2026 - If doping made Pogi, there'd be a lot more Pogis.bobo10-07-2026
- Never mind, take a break and look forward to the expanding family. As the women show, it’s always possible to make a comeback and if you discover you can’t be bothered then you know you didn’t miss out on anything. The team’s going to have to get used to you being gone anyway.Mistermaumau10-07-2026
- If you’re going to claim people were beating Merckx in the Tour then maybe also explain how. « mi). Eddy Merckx was attempting to win his sixth Tour de France, but became a victim of violence. Many French spectators were upset that a Belgian might beat the record of five wins set by France's Jacques Anquetil. During stage 14 a spectator leapt from the crowd and punched Merckx in the kidney. Frenchman Bernard Thévenet took over the lead. After Merckx subsequently fell and broke his cheekbone, he was unable to challenge Thévenet, who went on to win the Tour with Merckx second.« That’s the point (though the dirty trick to disqualify him from the Giro probably influenced things too) at which he (kind of understandably) lost interest in continuing to build his legacy. Tadej will also not be winning the Tour much longer. Other than that, very one dimensional article, only revolving around mediatised sports and completely ignoring women.Mistermaumau10-07-2026
- The f* french media and the f* Pogi haters want to, once agian, to get into Pogi's head and they are talking about f* doping again. Every f* year the same shit. Pogi should show cycling the middle finger and leave all these f* behind. He's got enough money, and your f* french, belgian, dane, dutch etc. amateurs will start winning again, in your own cycling bubble. Enough is enough!!!mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales10-07-2026
- If Jonas can already feel it in his guts that he's still fatigued from the Giro, but then considers winning the Vuelta again, then Wiggins' comment might make sense.Ride197410-07-2026
- lipo did not work with the group because remco was 30 sec back. had he worked with the group, maybe the groups wouldn't even have joined again. moreover, all of this doesn't change the unsportsmanlike conduct against his team(members). in industry you would be fired for this.Ketterechts10-07-2026
- LOL! Is something unclear to anyone?MajorPayne10-07-2026
- Unfortunately, it’s human nature. When one’s favorite is not the one attacking 40km out, then the race is considered “boring”. But if their favorite rider was the one doing it then it’s “exciting”. I enjoy it whether it’s Pogi, Vingo, Seixas, Remco, or any GC contender that can put a 2 min gap in week one. It’s called competitive sport and if you can show dominance, that’s exciting regardless of the athlete. Or maybe it’s simply because some folks are mad that they’ve lost $$$ in betting on the wrong rider ;)b3tlla10-07-2026
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