Tadej Pogacar celebrates after winning Stage 3 of the UAE Tour on February 19, 2025. AFP
Tadej Pogacar celebrates after winning Stage 3 of the UAE Tour on February 19, 2025. AFP
Tadej Pogacar celebrates after winning Stage 3 of the UAE Tour on February 19, 2025. AFP
Tadej Pogacar celebrates after winning Stage 3 of the UAE Tour on February 19, 2025. AFP

Tadej Pogacar powers to victory on Jebel Jais and takes control of UAE Tour


Amith Passela
  • English
  • Arabic

Tadej Pogacar powered to victory on the summit of Jebel Jais on Wednesday as the Slovenian secured his first stage win of 2025 at the UAE Tour.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider, watched on by his parents, triumphed in a sprint finish on Stage 3 after a 20-kilometre climb, crossing the line ahead of Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) and Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), with reigning champion Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto) fourth.

It was the Slovenian’s 89th career win and his seventh at the UAE Tour, which saw him take the overall lead as Stage 2 time-trial winner Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) dropped from the lead group inside the final kilometre.

Pogacar is now in prime position to win his third UAE Tour title after establishing an 18-second advantage on overnight leader Tarling, with Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) a further five seconds back in third.

“We finally have a victory after three days and we are super happy,” said the three-time Tour de France champion after the 181km ride from Ras Al-Khaimah to Jebel Jais.

“We did perfect, it was a hard day for the guys to control the race because it's long. We had no help whatsoever until the final climb and we executed it really good. Everybody deserves a victory today from our team, so I'm super happy.”

Pogacar's teammates set him up perfectly for the stage honours, injecting ideal pace for their rainbow-jersey wearing leader to pounce.

“We asked Ineos if they wanted to pay the honours to the jersey from the start, but we were left alone,” added Pogacar

“Rune [Herregodts] was really good pulling all day and then Lotto helped us a bit and then in the climb we just tried to do our own pace.

“It’s really good to win in the rainbow jersey. Part of me hoped that Tarling would hold on to the bunch and he would keep the jersey, but I will be more than happy to have the leader’s jersey tomorrow instead of the rainbows.”

Despite the team's dominance on Stage 3, Pogacar played down the idea that a third title was safely in the bag.

“It's not finished yet,” he insisted. “Now three stages of flat. You never know what happens here. You can lose it really quickly. So, nothing is won yet.

“Tomorrow is the middle point of the race. So, yeah, still more than halfway to go.”

Pogacar finished 10th in the opening stage and followed up with a third-place finish in the Stage 2 time trial before the impressive win at Jebel Jais.

Thursday’s Stage 4 is another 181km route flat stage from Fujairah Qidfa Beach to Umm Al Quwain.

Stage 3 results:

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4 hrs 36 min 04 sec

2. Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) + 00

3. Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) + 00

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates – XRG)

2. Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) at 18″

3. Pablo Castrillo (Movistar Team) at 23″

The Cairo Statement

 1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations

2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC  

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to donate

Text the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

6025 - Dh 20

2252 - Dh 50

2208 - Dh 100

6020 - Dh 200 

*numbers work for both Etisalat and du

Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series

Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen​​​​​​​
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg​​​​​​​
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results

5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

How to help

Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

2252 - Dh50

6025 - Dh20

6027 - Dh100

6026 - Dh200

Updated: February 19, 2025, 2:56 PM`