VIDEO: Disaster for Decathlon as Gianluca Pollefliet left waiting for bike at start of UAE Tour time trial
Cycling
Stage 2 of the 2025 UAE Tour took place earlier today, with the peloton facing an individual time trial in the Arab nation. In the end, Joshua Tarling took the stage win ahead of Stefan Bissegger and Tadej Pogacar.
Any hopes Decathlon AG2R La Monidale Team youngster Gianluca Pollefliet had for the day, were brutally ended though as the Belgian was left waiting helplessly on the start ramp without a bike as the timer ticked down. After the 23-year-old was caught by TV cameras running onto the podium with just 20 seconds to go until his timer started, there was a notable lack of a bike beside him. Thanks to a desperate sprint from a Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale staff member, Pollefliet did eventually get a bike, just as the timer ticked to zero, but without him clipped into the pedals, it was a far from ideal start.
In the end, Pollefliet came home in 71st on the stage. You can see the dramatic start to his efforts against the clock in the video down below!
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Gianluca Pollefliet JUST makes his start time on Stage 2 of the UAE Tour 😮 pic.twitter.com/X43PSf4I4s
— Eurosport (@eurosport) February 18, 2025
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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- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
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