As I crossed the Paris-Nice stage five finish line last week, I realised a goal that I have been working towards my entire life. The countless hours of training all came to fruition as I reached the finish in Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut for a first stage win on the World Tour. With my arms aloft and wearing a smile from ear to ear, a huge wave of emotion came over me as I thought about all the different people that have contributed to getting me to where I am today.
Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, I found myself on a bike from as early as I can remember. My parents have been an enormous influence on not only my career but also my life. They were incredibly supportive and sacrificed a lot for me growing up; driving me across the United States to compete in races all-year round.
My father himself is an avid cyclist, so looking back it was no surprise that I was racing from a young age. I have fond memories of us riding together in my younger years, and still cherish the chance to get out on the saddle with him when I’m back home in Phoenix.
Entering my third year at UAE Team Emirates, I knew this would be a huge opportunity to start the season strong and get my first win with the team on the board.
We had a great team-building camp in Dubai and Abu Dhabi back in October where we were able to really bond as a team and get to know all the new faces that were brought in. The camaraderie and team-spirit in our group is clear to see, and a massive factor in our early success this season - 36 podiums and 18 wins already and we’re only in March!
The great team on the road is supported by a great team that work tirelessly behind the scenes. We are very lucky to be supported by the best staff in the world – from coaches to mechanics to nutritionists and masseurs. We have all the tools to be successful as a team, so it’s just about sticking together and trusting each other to get the job done. We’re in for one hell of a season!
The camaraderie is a massive factor in our early success this season - 36 podiums and 18 wins already and we’re only in March
From a personal point of view, winning my first stage on the World Tour was the greatest moment of my career to date. Attacking with almost 40km to go on the Col De La Mure was a gamble, so to finish nearly two minutes ahead of the next rider was a dream come true. It’s hard to put into words the feeling afterwards. It was unbelievable!
I had worked my whole career for this moment, so it has made me even hungrier and more determined to keep churning out stage wins and helping the team.
The win felt even more special as I was thinking about pulling out of the race on the morning of it. I had a bad crash on the second day, my energy levels were depleted, and I was pretty banged up, but as the stage went on, I started to feel better and better and more confident.
As a team, it was a great race. Winning a stage, Joao Almeida winning the white jersey and the team taking home the team classification award represented a really strong performance from everyone involved.
We have some big races coming up like the Tour of the Basque Country, Vuelta Espana, and obviously the Tour De France which has been a dream of mine since I first clipped on my helmet and sat on the saddle. We’ve made a great start and have no intentions of slowing down.
I’m learning from some of the best riders in the world and representing a fantastic country on the world stage, it’s very special and I’m immensely grateful. Thank you to all our fans in the UAE for your support up to now, and I can’t wait to produce more wins in the future with the UAE flag on my jersey.
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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