“It feels really good to still be the best sprinter" - Lorena Wiebes immediately asserts dominance on first raceday of 2025

Lorena Wiebes was the all-conquering and unquestioned sprint leader in 2024. With just one raceday done of her 2025 season, the Team SD Worx - Protime star has already re-asserted her dominance with a thunderous stage 1 win at the UAE Tour.

Despite the all-star field of fastwomen in the United Arab Emirates, Wiebes made it look relatively simple in the final sprint, distancing 2nd placed Charlotte Kool by a clear margin. “It feels really good to still be the best sprinter after the winter,” the European champion reflected in her post-stage interview afterwards. “I think it was a very fair sprint. We (her and Kool ed.) were both completely in the wind. I am happy that my sprint is still very good. And there will be two more sprint opportunities. It is important to continue this line.”

“It was chaotic, as expected. We started in a good position at the last corner. Marta Lach and Barbara Guarischi then managed to do a very good lead-out,” she continues. “I was set off well. Charlotte came from behind at speed, so I had to catch her first. But I felt strong.”