UAE Tour 2025, February 17-23

[Divergence]

Philipsen should be relegated.

Philipsen get relegated for that I assume. Looks like his legs just went but was a massive change

It is not enough to just relegate a rider. It makes no difference to him. Maybe they need to employ the yellow cards and some monetary penalty. It is such a dumbass move to look behind with 50m to go.

 

[Samamba]

meh, the guy was spent, no intent. Moving on.

I agree, but it's still a relegation. It's still somewhat dangerous, doesn't matter what the intent is here. Should not get a yellow tho imo (should be for dickheads who have the intent to play dirty).

 

[Peyroteo94]

Nice to see Pog being humbled

I agree. But his pride is hurt, I'm sure he will crush everybody in the climbing stages.

 

[search]

Easy win for Milan. Don't think he's really beatable on a finish like this by the other pure sprinters.

I don't really remember many other uphill sprints from Milan (apart from the one Bauhaus won last year), but I'd think with a couple more race days in already Philipsen could have beaten him today. He didn't look that special to me

 

[Divergence]

meh, the guy was spent, no intent. Moving on.

Sure, no intent in looking back with 50m to go.

 

[Samamba]

FFB might be able to beat Pogacar on Jebel Jais. Jebel Hafeet should be too hard for him I think.

 

[titan31]

It is not enough to just relegate a rider. It makes no difference to him. Maybe they need to employ the yellow cards and some monetary penalty. It is such a dumbass move to look behind with 50m to go.

Ya, I could see a fine being more ok as I agree there was no real intent there

 

[hayneplane]

Impressive from Milan. Deserved victory.

 

[Berniece]

@Samamba Did LVE work on his TT? Was just wondering since he lost 43s last year

 

[Divergence]

Ya, I could see a fine being more ok as I agree there was no real intent there

The point is that intent does not matter. It is about being sensible. And Philippsen is one of the least sensible riders. Therefore, a hefty punishment might get him to reevaluate his way of riding.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Philipsen has made far too many dirty moves in sprints throughout his career to get the benefit of the doubt here for me.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I don't really remember many other uphill sprints from Milan (apart from the one Bauhaus won last year), but I'd think with a couple more race days in already Philipsen could have beaten him today. He didn't look that special to me

I think what has made Jonny particularly impressive in the past, as well as his size, is the fact that he hits the front early, but then when other sprinters kick out of his slipstream they can't pass him. When he does a sprint like that he seems invincible. And philepsen kind of tried to kick around him in the finish just now, and couldn't. But yeah I don't remember him doing a lot of uphill finishes and winning. So not sure he is unbeatable on such a finish

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I don't really remember many other uphill sprints from Milan (apart from the one Bauhaus won last year), but I'd think with a couple more race days in already Philipsen could have beaten him today. He didn't look that special to me

How about the mid-mountain stage he somehow finished second on in Valencia last week?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Philipsen just wanted to help his friend Pogačar keep that top 10 streak alive

To me, it didn't look like FFB was gonna get past Philipsen anyway, so it's fortunate for him that Philipsen decided to be dumb.

 

[Rob5091]

Philipsen now 52nd on the day ...

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Philepsen relegated 😍

Finn fisherman-black gains 6 seconds on pogacar

 

[search]

How about the mid-mountain stage he somehow finished second on in Valencia last week?

I wouldn't really classify it as a sprint. Climbing ability doesn't hurt, of course, but I'd say uphill sprints are particular, and more about stamina (which Milan has as well, of course, seeing his long sprints).

Kristoff for example has a great uphill sprint although he can't climb particularly well. Or look at Moschetti for example, who almost won at Hatta Dam.

 

[wirral]

Relegated!

 

[Samamba]

@Samamba Did LVE work on his TT? Was just wondering since he lost 43s last year

I asked his family 2 weeks ago and they said that he will need to get boni's again in a flat stage so I doubt it haha.

I'm not completely sure, but I think his focus first few months of the season was going to be a bit more on explosiveness for classics and then after that back to longer efforts and TT (which he couldn't do last year due to his injury). So I think he will lose a lot again tomorrow. Will be hard to podium this year with the better climber/TTers here.

 

[Samamba]

Another good thing coming from a first stage like this is that you don't get half of the GC riders starting their TT early before the broadcast tomorrow.

EDIT: well nvm, apparently everyone (apart from Milan) can just choose when they start. Almost all the GC candidates early again (just like last year). Annoying.

 

[Lequack]

An exciting sprint today, better than the usual flat sprints, since there were other contenders who could win. Shame about Molano crash in the last kms, right onto that gravel along the road. Panful.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1891478460381499705

View: https://x.com/TeamEmiratesUAE/status/1891478460381499705

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Bummed Kooij was scratched, but happy to see Philipsen lose his first race of the year...just glad that idiot didn't take Fisher-Black with that move. Deviating left that closse to the line is either incompetence or willful disregard for the health of anyone else in the peloton, or both.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I agree. But his pride is hurt, I'm sure he will crush everybody in the climbing stages.

He did well when they had that uphill finish Croatia in 2022 where Vingegaard won the stage (and later the gc).

 

[KZD]

Milan is an absolute beast on these short uphill finishes. Great result for Fisher-Black too.

The TT tomorrow should be interesting, I will go with Tarling for the win with Pogacar and Milan completing the top3.

 

[Brullnux]

I don't really remember many other uphill sprints from Milan (apart from the one Bauhaus won last year), but I'd think with a couple more race days in already Philipsen could have beaten him today. He didn't look that special to me

The first stage he won at Tirreno-Adriatico last year was also uphill, very close between him and Philipsen.

I think today it was the fact Milan did 200m+ in the wind and uphill, Philipsen did about 50m and ran out of legs. Philipsen was better positioned so I agree I think he'd win this stage in July, but straight drag race? Milan takes it.

Edit: there was also actually a stage in last year's Benelux tour, where he beat Philipsen again, which was about 5% uphill, and his win in Saudi in 2022, which was more in the drag category. So, tbf, four wins is pretty good going.