Tadej Pogacar resists the urge to attack on stage 6 of the 2025 UAE Tour: "To be honest, I got bored"
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar made headlines all around the world Friday as he spent the majority of stage 5 of the 2025 UAE Tour on the attack and in the breakaway, despite holding the overall race lead. On stage 6 this Saturday, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader was much quieter.
In the end, Tim Merlier sprinted to his second stage win in as many days ahead of Jasper Philipsen and Jonathan Milan. Whilst Pogacar spent the day safely in the bunch this time though, the Slovenian wasn't exactly happy to be riding so quietly. “Today I kept calm and didn’t try to break away. To be honest, I got bored, like probably most of the group today at some point," reflected Pogacar in his post-stage interview afterwards.
"That’s also part of cycling. I tried to look around and admire the city, but you always have to stay focused to avoid a crash," continues the world champion, who is now just one day away from starting his 2025 with a GC win in the UAE. "The UAE Tour is the home race for the team, so it’s an honor for me to ride here and fight for the win tomorrow in Jebel Hafeet. I like this red jersey!”
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Stage 6 - 2025 UAE Tour
| 1 | Merlier Tim | Soudal Quick-Step | 03:44:14 |
| 2 | Philipsen Jasper | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 00 |
| 3 | Milan Jonathan | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 4 | Walscheid Max | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 5 | Jakobsen Fabio | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 6 | Rajovic Dusan | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 7 | Skerl Daniel | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 8 | Zanoncello Enrico | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 9 | Welsford Sam | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 10 | De Schuyteneer Steffen | Lotto | + 00 |
| 11 | Bauhaus Phil | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 12 | Thijssen Gerben | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 13 | Pedersen Rasmus Søjberg | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 14 | Cimolai Davide | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 15 | Kogut Oded | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 16 | de Kleijn Arvid | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 17 | McLay Daniel | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 18 | Lund Andresen Tobias | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 19 | Consonni Simone | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 20 | Zijlaard Maikel | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 21 | Pasqualon Andrea | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 22 | Pollefliet Gianluca | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 23 | Fortin Filippo | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 24 | Rickaert Jonas | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 00 |
| 25 | van Poppel Danny | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 26 | Van Hoecke Gijs | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 27 | Kajamini Florian | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 28 | Raisberg Nadav | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 29 | Swift Ben | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 30 | Tarling Joshua | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 31 | Gonzalez Roberto | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 32 | Conforti Lorenzo | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 33 | van der Meulen Max | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 34 | Côté Pier-André | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 35 | Fiorelli Filippo | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 36 | Lecerf Junior | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 37 | Quartucci Lorenzo | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 38 | Goossens Kobe | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 39 | Van Lerberghe Bert | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 40 | Theuns Edward | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 41 | Ciccone Giulio | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 42 | Reinders Elmar | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 43 | Pogacar Tadej | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 00 |
| 44 | Steinhauser Georg | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00 |
| 45 | Romeo Iván | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 46 | Petilli Simone | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 47 | Colleoni Kevin | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 48 | Lemmen Bart | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 49 | Thompson Reuben | Lotto | + 00 |
| 50 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 51 | Castrillo Pablo | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 52 | Rubio Einer | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 53 | Riccitello Matthew | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 54 | Lutsenko Alexey | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 55 | Currie Logan | Lotto | + 00 |
| 56 | Kepplinger Rainer | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 57 | Pinarello Alessandro | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 58 | Vermeersch Florian | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 00 |
| 59 | Armirail Bruno | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 60 | Vine Jay | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 00 |
| 61 | Onley Oscar | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 62 | Van der Sande Tosh | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 00 |
| 63 | Palzer Anton | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 64 | Tejada Harold | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 65 | Zwiehoff Ben | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 66 | Barta William | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 67 | Su Haoyu | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 68 | Bilbao Pello | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 69 | Træen Torstein | Bahrain Victorious | + 00 |
| 70 | Ghys Robbe | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 00 |
| 71 | Dillier Silvan | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 00 |
| 72 | Wilksch Hannes | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 73 | Konrad Patrick | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 74 | Mackellar Alastair | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00 |
| 75 | Storer Michael | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 76 | Van Eetvelt Lennert | Lotto | + 00 |
| 77 | Chaves Esteban | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00 |
| 78 | Gregaard Jonas | Lotto | + 00 |
| 79 | Bouchard Geoffrey | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 80 | Moro Manlio | Movistar Team | + 00 |
| 81 | Froome Chris | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 82 | Bissegger Stefan | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 83 | Mullen Ryan | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 00 |
| 84 | Gall Felix | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team | + 00 |
| 85 | Eenkhoorn Pascal | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 86 | Rootkin-Gray Jack | EF Education-EasyPost | + 00 |
| 87 | Pinazzi Mattia | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 88 | Hirt Jan | Israel-Premier Tech | + 00 |
| 89 | Taminiaux Lionel | Lotto | + 00 |
| 90 | Mezgec Luka | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 91 | Pedersen Casper | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 92 | Sbaragli Kristian | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 93 | Krieger Alexander | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 94 | Hoole Daan | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 95 | Märkl Niklas | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 96 | Edmondson Alex | Team Picnic PostNL | + 00 |
| 97 | Kolze Changizi Sebastian | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 00 |
| 98 | Djuric Djordje | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 99 | Samudio Carlos | Solution Tech-Vini Fantini | + 00 |
| 100 | Kuypers Gerben | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 101 | Carthy Hugh | EF Education-EasyPost | + 54 |
| 102 | Tarozzi Manuele | VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè | + 00 |
| 103 | Ghebreigzabhier Amanuel | Lidl-Trek | + 00 |
| 104 | Donaldson Robert | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 105 | Durbridge Luke | Team Jayco-AlUla | + 00 |
| 106 | Bastiaens Ayco | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 107 | Cerný Josef | Soudal Quick-Step | + 00 |
| 108 | Petit Adrien | Intermarché-Wanty | + 00 |
| 109 | Van Der Lee Jardi | EF Education-EasyPost | + 54 |
| 110 | Kielich Timo | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 01:12 |
| 111 | Maciejuk Filip | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | + 01:25 |
| 112 | Herregodts Rune | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 01:39 |
| 113 | Bjerg Mikkel | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 01:39 |
| 114 | Debruyne Ramses | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 01:39 |
| 115 | Heiduk Kim | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 116 | Rodriguez Carlos | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 117 | Leonard Michael | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 118 | Castroviejo Jonathan | INEOS Grenadiers | + 00 |
| 119 | Kluckers Arthur | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | + 01:56 |
| 120 | Behrens Niklas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | + 01:56 |
| 121 | Gate Aaron | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 122 | Novak Domen | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | + 02:01 |
| 123 | Leijnse Enzo | Team Picnic PostNL | + 02:07 |
| 124 | van den Berg Julius | Team Picnic PostNL | + 02:07 |
| 125 | Schelling Ide | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
| 126 | Price-Pejtersen Johan | Alpecin-Deceuninck | + 02:28 |
| 127 | Malucelli Matteo | XDS Astana Team | + 00 |
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
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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