Tadej Pogačar powered to his first victory of the 2025 season, outpacing his rivals on Jebel Jais to claim both the stage win and the red jersey at the UAE Tour. The world champion launched a perfectly timed sprint in the final 300 metres, holding off Oscar Onley and Felix Gall.
The 181km stage from Ras al Khaimah to the summit finish on Jebel Jais was always expected to be a battle between the general classification contenders. A five-rider breakaway animated the early part of the stage, but UAE Team Emirates-XRG controlled the pace in the peloton, ensuring their leader had the perfect platform for the finale.
Once the race hit the lower slopes of the 21.1km climb, the team took full control. Mikkel Bjerg, Domen Novak and Jay Vine set a relentless tempo, gradually shedding riders from the bunch. Felix Gall tried to disrupt the rhythm with a strong attack at 1.5km to go, putting Joshua Tarling under pressure. However, Vine quickly neutralised the move, keeping Pogačar in prime position
With Vine still driving the pace into the final kilometre, the reduced peloton was gearing up for a sprint among the climbers. Pogačar, already a winner on Jebel Jais in 2022, once again showed his class, launching his move early and gapping the field with ease.
Onley and Gall completed the podium, while Lennert Van Eetvelt took fourth. Notably, 18-year-old Paul Seixas finished tenth, an impressive result for the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider in just his second year as a professional.
Pogačar’s win saw him take the overall lead from Tarling, who now sits 18 seconds behind in the GC. Pablo Castrillo is third at 23 seconds.
Photo Credit: Sprint Cycling AgencyPogačar’s dominance in a GC sprint
Speaking after the stage, Pogačar downplayed any suggestions of tactical games:
“Everybody watching this race knows that Jebel Jais is windy. It meant the guys pulling were suffering quite a lot, but when you’re in the bunch, it’s not like that. Today’s race was no science fiction.”
He also admitted he had hoped Tarling would hold onto the red jersey so he could continue racing in the rainbow bands.
“At the end, I’m happy to lead the race, but we also know that Jebel Jais isn’t very suitable for making differences. Every year we hear that this is a sprint of the GC riders. It’s easier to have bigger gaps in steeper climbs, not only for me but in general.”
Tarling stays in white
Despite losing the overall lead, Tarling retained the white jersey for best young rider. The Brit was caught out when Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale lifted the pace late on, but limited his losses to stay in contention.
“It was quite a smooth pace the whole way up, so I settled into a rhythm. Then with one and a half kilometres to go, I was a bit off the back, but I still had something left to keep the pace uphill,” he said.
Pogačar now leads the race into the final stages, with the decisive summit finish on Jebel Hafeet still to come. While Jebel Jais played out as expected—a sprint among the GC contenders—Sunday’s steeper slopes will provide a true test of who can take overall victory.
2025 UAE Tour Stage 3 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency
