UAE Cycling shines in Criterium du Dauphiné

June 15, 2025 / 7:44 PM

Sharjah 24 – WAM: With another dominant performance, Tadej Pogačar claimed his second consecutive stage victory at the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné, further cementing his position as the race leader in the yellow jersey.

A decisive Solo attack on stage 7

Riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Pogačar launched a powerful attack 12 km from the summit of Valmeinier 1800. His acceleration proved too strong for the chasing group, including Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who was unable to match the Slovenian's pace.

Vingegaard and Lipowitz try to respond

Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) briefly joined forces with Vingegaard in pursuit, but the Dane pulled ahead to finish second. Lipowitz took third, trailing by over a minute. Pogačar reached the summit alone after conquering the 16.2 km climb at a 6.8% average gradient.

UAE team defends under pressure

Earlier in the stage, Visma-Lease a Bike attempted to disrupt UAE Team Emirates-XRG's control by pushing the pace on the Col de la Croix de Fer. However, Pavel Sivakov delivered a resilient effort to support Pogačar, preventing any isolation of the world champion.

Pogačar reflects on the stage strategy

Speaking after the race, Pogačar said, “We had our own plan, but Visma went full gas early. I remembered the climb from before, and our goal was to stay in control. Pavel rode really well, and when he couldn't continue, he prepared me for the final attack. I committed to it and managed to hold the lead.”