"I tried to attack but the slope wasn't steep enough" - Felix Gall tests Tadej Pogacar on stage 3 of 2025 UAE Tour
CyclingWednesday, 19 February 2025 at 17:00
Tadej Pogacar took his first victory of the 2025 season atop Jebel Jais on stage 3 of the 2025 UAE Tour. The Slovenian didn't have things all his own way on the final climb though, with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team and Felix Gall especially trying to test Pogacar's legs.
UAE Team Emirates - XRG had done much of the work on the front of the peloton all day before the final climb. After the breakaway was caught on the Jebel Jais though, Decathlon sent Bruno Armirail and Paul Seixas to the front, immediately making a difference and thinning out the general classification group. Once they'd finished their work, Gall himself attempted to break free, but ultimately couldn't snap the elastic and was forced to wait for the final sprint, coming home 3rd as Pogacar took the win.
"I'm very happy with my form. I knew I was in good shape after the high-altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada, but it's always good to confirm it in a race," the Austrian reflected afterwards in a post-stage press release to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team's website. "Today's climb wasn't the most difficult of the week, so we weren't expecting any big gaps. We managed well, the team was very involved and there's a nice dynamic. I tried to attack with 1,500 m to go, but the slope wasn't steep enough. I went for the sprint and took third place. I'm looking forward to Sunday, as this climb suits me better."
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Stage 3 - 2025 UAE Tour
| 1 | Pogacar Tadej | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | 04:36:04 |
| 2 | Onley Oscar | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 3 | Gall Felix | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 4 | Van Eetvelt Lennert | Lotto | + 00 |
| 5 | Ciccone Giulio | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 6 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 7 | Romeo Iván | Movistar Team | + 04 |
| 8 | Castrillo Pablo | Movistar Team | + 04 |
| 9 | Riccitello Matthew | Israel-Premier Tech | + 04 |
| 10 | Seixas Paul | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 04 |
| 11 | Langellotti Victor | INEOS Grenadiers | + 04 |
| 12 | Tejada Harold | XDS Astana Team | + 04 |
| 13 | Bilbao Pello | Bahrain Victorious | + 04 |
| 14 | Zwiehoff Ben | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 07 |
| 15 | Steinhauser Georg | EF Education-EasyPost | + 07 |
| 16 | Lecerf Junior | Soudal Quick-Step | + 07 |
| 17 | Rodriguez Carlos | INEOS Grenadiers | + 10 |
| 18 | Storer Michael | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 20 |
| 19 | Kepplinger Rainer | Bahrain Victorious | + 20 |
| 20 | Vine Jay | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 20 |
| 21 | Tarling Joshua | INEOS Grenadiers | + 26 |
| 22 | Carthy Hugh | EF Education-EasyPost | + 28 |
| 23 | Rubio Einer | Movistar Team | + 31 |
| 24 | Debruyne Ramses | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 33 |
| 25 | Konrad Patrick | Lidl-Trek | + 33 |
| 26 | Chaves Esteban | EF Education-EasyPost | + 42 |
| 27 | Lutsenko Alexey | Israel-Premier Tech | + 44 |
| 28 | Kajamini Florian | XDS Astana Team | + 50 |
| 29 | Pinarello Alessandro | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 52 |
| 30 | Lemmen Bart | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 56 |
| 31 | Barta William | Movistar Team | + 01:02 |
| 32 | Bouchard Geoffrey | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 01:08 |
| 33 | Higuita Sergio | XDS Astana Team | + 01:13 |
| 34 | Palzer Anton | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 01:18 |
| 35 | Træen Torstein | Bahrain Victorious | + 01:19 |
| 36 | Hirt Jan | Israel-Premier Tech | + 01:19 |
| 37 | Quartucci Lorenzo | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 01:24 |
| 38 | Gonzalez Roberto | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 02:00 |
| 39 | Eenkhoorn Pascal | Soudal Quick-Step | + 02:00 |
| 40 | Goossens Kobe | Intermarché-Wanty | + 02:00 |
| 41 | Thompson Reuben | Lotto | + 02:00 |
| 42 | Wilksch Hannes | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 02:00 |
| 43 | Armirail Bruno | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 02:00 |
| 44 | Colleoni Kevin | Intermarché-Wanty | + 02:19 |
| 45 | van der Meulen Max | Bahrain Victorious | + 02:26 |
| 46 | Ghebreigzabhier Amanuel | Lidl-Trek | + 02:43 |
| 47 | Hoole Daan | Lidl-Trek | + 03:01 |
| 48 | Van Der Lee Jardi | EF Education-EasyPost | + 03:40 |
| 49 | Mackellar Alastair | EF Education-EasyPost | + 04:14 |
| 50 | Craps Lars | Lotto | + 04:16 |
| 51 | Kuypers Gerben | Intermarché-Wanty | + 04:35 |
| 52 | Petilli Simone | Intermarché-Wanty | + 04:35 |
| 53 | Castroviejo Jonathan | INEOS Grenadiers | + 04:35 |
| 54 | Kielich Timo | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 04:42 |
| 55 | Novak Domen | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 05:53 |
| 56 | Leonard Michael | INEOS Grenadiers | + 06:08 |
| 57 | Durbridge Luke | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 06:48 |
| 58 | Côté Pier-André | Israel-Premier Tech | + 06:48 |
| 59 | Swift Ben | INEOS Grenadiers | + 08:15 |
| 60 | Rootkin-Gray Jack | EF Education-EasyPost | + 08:15 |
| 61 | Bissegger Stefan | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 08:15 |
| 62 | Gate Aaron | XDS Astana Team | + 08:15 |
| 63 | Sbaragli Kristian | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 08:15 |
| 64 | Leijnse Enzo | Team Picnic PostNL | + 09:31 |
| 65 | Gregaard Jonas | Lotto | + 10:15 |
| 66 | Pedersen Casper | Soudal Quick-Step | + 10:15 |
| 67 | Edmondson Alex | Team Picnic PostNL | + 10:17 |
| 68 | Mullen Ryan | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 10:17 |
| 69 | Walscheid Max | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 10:17 |
| 70 | Price-Pejtersen Johan | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 10:17 |
| 71 | Raisberg Nadav | Israel-Premier Tech | + 10:17 |
| 72 | Ghys Robbe | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 10:17 |
| 73 | Herregodts Rune | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 10:17 |
| 74 | Zijlaard Maikel | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 10:17 |
| 75 | Schelling Ide | XDS Astana Team | + 10:17 |
| 76 | Heiduk Kim | INEOS Grenadiers | + 10:17 |
| 77 | Van der Sande Tosh | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 10:51 |
| 78 | Su Haoyu | XDS Astana Team | + 10:53 |
| 79 | Currie Logan | Lotto | + 10:58 |
| 80 | Petit Adrien | Intermarché-Wanty | + 10:58 |
| 81 | Van Hoecke Gijs | Intermarché-Wanty | + 10:58 |
| 82 | Pedersen Rasmus Søjberg | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 10:58 |
| 83 | Froome Chris | Israel-Premier Tech | + 10:58 |
| 84 | Donaldson Robert | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 10:58 |
| 85 | Lund Andresen Tobias | Team Picnic PostNL | + 11:41 |
| 86 | Samudio Carlos | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 11:55 |
| 87 | Rickaert Jonas | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 12:44 |
| 88 | Gloag Thomas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 12:49 |
| 89 | Bjerg Mikkel | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 12:49 |
| 90 | De Schuyteneer Steffen | Lotto | + 13:07 |
| 91 | Märkl Niklas | Team Picnic PostNL | + 13:07 |
| 92 | Kluckers Arthur | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 14:35 |
| 93 | Moro Manlio | Movistar Team | + 15:07 |
| 94 | Tarozzi Manuele | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 15:10 |
| 95 | van Poppel Danny | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 15:38 |
| 96 | Maciejuk Filip | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 15:38 |
| 97 | Zanoncello Enrico | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 15:38 |
| 98 | Fiorelli Filippo | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 15:38 |
| 99 | Pasqualon Andrea | Bahrain Victorious | + 15:40 |
| 100 | Rajovic Dusan | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 15:40 |
| 101 | Bauhaus Phil | Bahrain Victorious | + 15:40 |
| 102 | Dillier Silvan | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 15:40 |
| 103 | Philipsen Jasper | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 15:49 |
| 104 | Van Lerberghe Bert | Soudal Quick-Step | + 15:49 |
| 105 | Consonni Simone | Lidl-Trek | + 15:49 |
| 106 | Theuns Edward | Lidl-Trek | + 15:49 |
| 107 | Thijssen Gerben | Intermarché-Wanty | + 15:55 |
| 108 | Kogut Oded | Israel-Premier Tech | + 15:57 |
| 109 | Cerný Josef | Soudal Quick-Step | + 15:57 |
| 110 | Vermeersch Florian | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 15:57 |
| 111 | Merlier Tim | Soudal Quick-Step | + 15:57 |
| 112 | Fortin Filippo | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 15:57 |
| 113 | Gaviria Fernando | Movistar Team | + 15:57 |
| 114 | Pollefliet Gianluca | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 15:57 |
| 115 | Cimolai Davide | Movistar Team | + 15:57 |
| 116 | Pinazzi Mattia | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 15:57 |
| 117 | Reinders Elmar | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 15:57 |
| 118 | Skerl Daniel | Bahrain Victorious | + 15:57 |
| 119 | Groenewegen Dylan | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 15:57 |
| 120 | Milan Jonathan | Lidl-Trek | + 15:57 |
| 121 | Jakobsen Fabio | Team Picnic PostNL | + 15:57 |
| 122 | Welsford Sam | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 15:57 |
| 123 | Mezgec Luka | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 15:57 |
| 124 | Behrens Niklas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 15:57 |
| 125 | Bastiaens Ayco | Soudal Quick-Step | + 15:57 |
| 126 | McLay Daniel | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 15:57 |
| 127 | Taminiaux Lionel | Lotto | + 15:57 |
| 128 | van den Berg Julius | Team Picnic PostNL | + 17:31 |
| 129 | Biagini Federico | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 17:31 |
| 130 | Malucelli Matteo | XDS Astana Team | + 22:39 |
| 131 | Djuric Djordje | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 22:39 |
| 132 | de Kleijn Arvid | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 22:39 |
| 133 | Conforti Lorenzo | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 22:39 |
| 134 | Krieger Alexander | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 22:39 |
| 135 | Kolze Changizi Sebastian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 23:16 |
🇦🇪 @uae_tour
— DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE TEAM (@decathlonAG2RLM) February 19, 2025
Malgré une attaque à 2km de l'arrivée, Felix Gall est allé chercher la 3ème place dans le sprint final.
After a first attack with 2 km to go, Felix Gall sprinted for the podium in the final. #DECATHLONAG2RLAMONDIALETEAM https://t.co/yc2YXK72WK
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