Favorites stage 2 UAE Tour 2025 | Time trial on a flat surface: Will Pogacar hit the mark here?
Cycling
After yesterday's first, relatively flat stage, a significant challenge awaits the riders with ambitions for the GC on day two. Will Tadej Pogacar seize the opportunity immediately, or is this stage for a true time trialist? IDLProCycling.com gives you a preview of stage 2.
Course stage 2 UAE Tour 2025
Day two of the WorldTour stage race will be a time trial. The course is approximately twelve kilometers long and is a blueprint of the time trial the UAE Tour offered riders in 2024. At that time, it was a UAE party, as Brandon McNulty won, and Jay Vine and Mikkel Bjerg joined him on the podium.
The twelve-kilometer time trial is something for the fast riders. There are no meters of elevation and hardly any turns or difficult obstacles along the way. This must be very appealing for men who can pedal at high speeds. Which rider with ambitions for the GC will immediately make an important move, and who will crack under the pressure?
Times
Start: 4:05 AM EST
Finish: 6:30 AM EST
Weather stage 2 UAE Tour 2025
Whereas yesterday, the riders raced in extremely warm conditions, the temperature will drop slightly on Tuesday. The weather in the Emirates on Tuesday will reach a maximum of 27 degrees and be mostly sunny. The wind could also play a significant role during the time trial.
Favorites stage 2 UAE Tour 2025
There is a chance that the second stage will see a battle on two fronts, namely between the GC riders and the real time trialists. But the top favorite is Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG). The Slovenian is known for his good time trial, but possible danger comes from his team. Jay Vine and Mikkel Bjerg rode very strongly on the same course last year. But they have to make up ten seconds on leader Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), who, with his track experience, can ride at an enormous pace.
And what about some Dutch riders? The danger will mainly come from Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek). The two Dutch riders are known for their time trial skills. And what about Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers)? The Englishman is a powerful time trail rider and will have set his sights on this stage, just like Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale).
Read more below!
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) is also known as a good time trialist and will certainly give it his all with his ambitions for the GC. The Spaniard Iván Romeo (Movistar) will undoubtedly want to compete for a good ranking, as the Spaniard became the world champion time trial in the U23 category in Zurich.
Who else should we keep an eye on? Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe) became the national time trial champion in January. Luke Durbridge (Team Jayco AlUla), Josef Černy (Soudal Quick-Step), and Alexey Lutsenko (XDS Astana) could also surprise us.
Favorites stage 2 UAE Tour 2025, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers)
Outsiders: Iván Romeo (Movistar), Luke Durbridge (Team Jayco AlUla), Mikkel Bjerg and Jay Vine (both UAE Team Emirates XRG)
Longshots: Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek), Stefan Bisegger (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Josef Černy (Soudal Quick-Step),Alexey Lutsenko (XDS Astana), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) and Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe)
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Latest Comments
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024