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UAE Tour 2025, February 17-23

Page 5 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
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
 
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.
 
@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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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