"It serves as good preparation for what is coming" - Tadej Pogacar puts in ominous echelon performance in UAE with Spring Classics looming
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar retained his overall race lead at the 2025 UAE Tour on Thursday. During a chaotic stage 4, echelons caused carnage at times in the peloton. Throughout it all though, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader looked supreme, never missing a move and consistently among the first few riders in the bunch. Ominous signs for the Slovenian's rivals this Spring.
"I like a bit of action when I'm at the front," a smiling Pogacar reflected in his post-stage interview after Jonathan Milan had outsprinted Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen to take the victory. "As a team we were always at the front, so we had fun. It was a nice day."
"I prefer to finish a stage like this in a smaller group," Pogacar adds. "When it came together, we saw how hectic it was in the last kilometres. Also, riding in the echelons is a good way to put in some effort. It serves as good preparation for what is coming."
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Stage 4 - 2025 UAE Tour
| 1 | Milan Jonathan | Lidl-Trek | 04:03:01 |
| 2 | Merlier Tim | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 3 | Philipsen Jasper | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 00 |
| 4 | McLay Daniel | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 5 | Gaviria Fernando | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 6 | Jakobsen Fabio | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 7 | Groenewegen Dylan | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 8 | Bauhaus Phil | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 9 | De Schuyteneer Steffen | Lotto | + 00 |
| 10 | Thijssen Gerben | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 11 | de Kleijn Arvid | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 12 | Rajovic Dusan | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 13 | Zanoncello Enrico | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 14 | Malucelli Matteo | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 15 | Pollefliet Gianluca | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 16 | Kogut Oded | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 17 | Welsford Sam | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 18 | Skerl Daniel | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 19 | Lund Andresen Tobias | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 20 | Pinazzi Mattia | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 21 | Moro Manlio | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 22 | Côté Pier-André | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 23 | Gate Aaron | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 24 | Pedersen Rasmus Søjberg | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 25 | Tarling Joshua | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 26 | Swift Ben | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 27 | van Poppel Danny | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 28 | Behrens Niklas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 29 | Langellotti Victor | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 30 | Märkl Niklas | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 31 | Kajamini Florian | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 32 | Hoole Daan | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 33 | Conforti Lorenzo | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 34 | Bilbao Pello | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 35 | Chaves Esteban | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00 |
| 36 | Rodriguez Carlos | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 37 | Ciccone Giulio | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 38 | Tejada Harold | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 39 | Lemmen Bart | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 40 | Kepplinger Rainer | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 41 | Vermeersch Florian | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 00 |
| 42 | Van Eetvelt Lennert | Lotto | + 00 |
| 43 | Consonni Simone | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 44 | Romeo Iván | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 45 | Raisberg Nadav | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 46 | Pogacar Tadej | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 00 |
| 47 | Bissegger Stefan | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 48 | Colleoni Kevin | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 49 | Goossens Kobe | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 50 | Vine Jay | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 00 |
| 51 | Mezgec Luka | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 52 | Armirail Bruno | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 53 | Lecerf Junior | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 54 | Gall Felix | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 55 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 56 | Riccitello Matthew | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 57 | Van Hoecke Gijs | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 58 | Higuita Sergio | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 59 | Pinarello Alessandro | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 60 | Castrillo Pablo | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 61 | Gonzalez Roberto | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 62 | Rubio Einer | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 63 | Van der Sande Tosh | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 64 | Konrad Patrick | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 65 | Zijlaard Maikel | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 66 | Seixas Paul | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 67 | Onley Oscar | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 68 | Thompson Reuben | Lotto | + 00 |
| 69 | Steinhauser Georg | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00 |
| 70 | Wilksch Hannes | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 71 | Træen Torstein | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 72 | Lutsenko Alexey | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 73 | Storer Michael | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 74 | Mackellar Alastair | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00 |
| 75 | Cimolai Davide | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 76 | Petit Adrien | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 77 | Hirt Jan | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 78 | Van Lerberghe Bert | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 79 | Eenkhoorn Pascal | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 80 | Kielich Timo | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 00 |
| 81 | Walscheid Max | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 82 | Reinders Elmar | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 83 | Schelling Ide | XDS Astana Team | + 15 |
| 84 | Heiduk Kim | INEOS Grenadiers | + 21 |
| 85 | Herregodts Rune | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 21 |
| 86 | Fortin Filippo | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 21 |
| 87 | Edmondson Alex | Team Picnic PostNL | + 21 |
| 88 | Craps Lars | Lotto | + 21 |
| 89 | Ghys Robbe | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 21 |
| 90 | Pasqualon Andrea | Bahrain Victorious | + 21 |
| 91 | Mullen Ryan | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 38 |
| 92 | Theuns Edward | Lidl-Trek | + 38 |
| 93 | Rickaert Jonas | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 48 |
| 94 | Donaldson Robert | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 48 |
| 95 | Krieger Alexander | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 57 |
| 96 | Palzer Anton | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 01:10 |
| 97 | Quartucci Lorenzo | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 01:17 |
| 98 | Durbridge Luke | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 01:17 |
| 99 | Petilli Simone | Intermarché-Wanty | + 01:27 |
| 100 | Bastiaens Ayco | Soudal Quick-Step | + 01:27 |
| 101 | Froome Chris | Israel-Premier Tech | + 01:27 |
| 102 | Kolze Changizi Sebastian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 01:41 |
| 103 | Bjerg Mikkel | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 01:52 |
| 104 | Pedersen Casper | Soudal Quick-Step | + 02:00 |
| 105 | Currie Logan | Lotto | + 02:18 |
| 106 | Cerný Josef | Soudal Quick-Step | + 02:18 |
| 107 | Zwiehoff Ben | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 02:52 |
| 108 | Maciejuk Filip | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 02:52 |
| 109 | Barta William | Movistar Team | + 02:52 |
| 110 | Rootkin-Gray Jack | EF Education-EasyPost | + 03:32 |
| 111 | Novak Domen | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 04:01 |
| 112 | Bouchard Geoffrey | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 04:15 |
| 113 | Su Haoyu | XDS Astana Team | + 04:15 |
| 114 | van den Berg Julius | Team Picnic PostNL | + 04:15 |
| 115 | Sbaragli Kristian | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 04:15 |
| 116 | Leijnse Enzo | Team Picnic PostNL | + 04:15 |
| 117 | Gregaard Jonas | Lotto | + 04:15 |
| 118 | Castroviejo Jonathan | INEOS Grenadiers | + 04:15 |
| 119 | Fiorelli Filippo | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 04:15 |
| 120 | Tarozzi Manuele | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 04:15 |
| 121 | Dillier Silvan | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 04:15 |
| 122 | Price-Pejtersen Johan | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 04:15 |
| 123 | Debruyne Ramses | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 04:15 |
| 124 | Biagini Federico | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 04:15 |
| 125 | van der Meulen Max | Bahrain Victorious | + 04:15 |
| 126 | Ghebreigzabhier Amanuel | Lidl-Trek | + 04:15 |
| 127 | Kluckers Arthur | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 04:15 |
| 128 | Carthy Hugh | EF Education-EasyPost | + 04:15 |
| 129 | Taminiaux Lionel | Lotto | + 04:15 |
| 130 | Leonard Michael | INEOS Grenadiers | + 04:15 |
| 131 | Van Der Lee Jardi | EF Education-EasyPost | + 04:15 |
| 132 | Kuypers Gerben | Intermarché-Wanty | + 05:11 |
| 133 | Samudio Carlos | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 05:21 |
| 134 | Djuric Djordje | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 05:21 |
Safely across the line in the leader’s jersey at the #UAETour.
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) February 20, 2025
Stage 4 brought a cheeky acceleration from @TamauPogi after the intermediate sprint, before our boys handled themselves well in the late crosswinds 💨
Another day ticked off! ✅ pic.twitter.com/G8hGt8s09G
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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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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