The battle between (new) powerhouses has begun: UAE vs Red Bull 3-3 after 2025 season opener

UAE Team Emirates-XRG ended 2024 with 81 wins, and it doesn't look like the TGV, with Tadej Pogacar as its driver last season, is slowing down. After the first two races of 2025, the counter already stands at three, thanks to stage and overall wins by Jhonatan Narváez in the Tour Down Under and António Mogarado's supreme victory in the Gran Premio Castellón.

First up is Australia, where Narváez already secured a stunning overall victory on Saturday with a stage win at Willunga Hill. "A super talent," sounded the praise from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, which on Sunday only had to safely guide its leader through twenty (!) rounds of 4.5 kilometers to safeguard the leader's jersey.

That was successful, allowing Narváez and UAE to start the season in Australia with two wins. Despite already having two Giro stages on his palmares, Ecuadorians consider it the biggest WorldTour career win. "It wasn't easy and a bit dangerous," the race organization said afterward about the final stage around Adelaide. "This is one of the most beautiful races on the calendar."

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Narváez won Saturday at Willunga Hill and that sufficed for overall victory

Morgado starts excellent in Spain

In Castellón, Morgado's victory was equally impressive. The young Portuguese had been judgmental of himself after his 2024 debut year, apparently not living up to his expectations with three wins at 19. "Morgado needs to believe in himself even more," UAE boss Joxean Matxin said comfortingly. "We consider him one of the most important riders in our team with a view to the future."

In the first one-day race of 2025, it immediately showed why. Morgado blasted his fellow breakaway riders out of the wheel with a skillful sprint and won convincingly in Spain. "It was a tough race, but I stayed ahead with four others at the top of the last climb. I suffered because I am not a pure climber, but we gave everything to Alessandro Covi (his teammate, ed.) until the finish. It was a great fight, and I'm tired but happy with the start of the year."

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Antonio Morgado

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe has also won three already

The only team that started 2025 equally successful was Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Sam Welsford sprinted to three wins at the Tour Down Under, and Finn Fisher-Black's third place in the GC (who left UAE this winter) is also worth something. The new powerhouse in cycling immediately provided a reborn sprint bomb and its new GC rider.

"I am speechless. I couldn't be more grateful for the work those guys have produced," Welsford said Sunday after his third stage win in Australia. Fisher-Black agreed. "We came here to win stages and go for the podium in the GC, so we're happy with the outcome. I'm pleased with my first podium for my new team; it feels great and is a solid step forward."

Read also

Van der Poel’s victory gesture a coincidence? Definitely not, it was a birthday gift for Evenepoel: "Call received, bro!"

How tough Danny van Poppel turned Sam Welsford into a sprint beast during do-or-die winter

According to UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Narváez's power explosion in Australia is just the beginning: "A super talent"

Want to know when and where the most exciting races of 2025 will take place? Check out our updated 2025 cycling calendars for the men's and women's peloton!

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