Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara at the presidential palace in Damascus. The National has spoken to some who knew him in the past. Photo: Syria Transitional Government / AFP
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara at the presidential palace in Damascus. The National has spoken to some who knew him in the past. Photo: Syria Transitional Government / AFP
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara at the presidential palace in Damascus. The National has spoken to some who knew him in the past. Photo: Syria Transitional Government / AFP
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara at the presidential palace in Damascus. The National has spoken to some who knew him in the past. Photo: Syria Transitional Government / AFP

From Damascus suburb to presidential palace: Ahmad Al Shara's past offers rare insight into his outlook


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

Mammoth concrete apartment buildings line the main motorway running west out of Damascus, relics of a Soviet-style economy that for decades underpinned the iron rule of the Assad family over Syria.

Here in the suburb of Mazzeh was where Syria’s new leader Ahmad Al Shara grew up. Less than three months ago, he led an offensive from the rebel stronghold of Idlib that deposed former president Bashar Al Assad, ending more than 50 years of dynastic rule.

“He was a quiet boy who worked along with his brothers at his father’s grocery store. The Assad regime took it over,” says one neighbour, pointing to a closed shop near the 20-storey building where the family lived.

Both are next to the well-known Al Akram Mosque, and to Parfait, one of the capital’s top cake makers. Although many of the neighbourhood's inhabitants are quite traditional in their outlook, they do enjoy some western treats.

Since his triumphant return to Damascus in early December, Mr Al Shara has become a key player in the Middle East. Exchanging his combat fatigues for a suit and tie, the bearded, soft-spoken former rebel has received leaders and top officials from the region and the West at the presidential palace where he has set up his base. The palace was built by assassinated Lebanese statesman Rafic Al Hariri as a gift to Hafez Al Assad, whose posters, statues and other instruments of his personality cult were all over Damascus when Mr Al Shara was growing up.

Mr Al Shara has declared his goal to be building a new state but has offered little detail about how he intends to go about this. He has also been non-committal about whether Syria, with its numerous ethnic and religious groups, will remain a centrist Muslim country, or become more hardline, a concern raised by his leadership of a group that originated from Al Qaeda.

However, his family history, recent speeches and interviews, as well as the accounts of the people who have known him, offer clues to the personality of the man. Mr Al Shara went from a 21-year-old fighting US forces in Iraq, to founding the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front group fighting the Assad regime, to leader of the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) rebel coalition that controlled Idlib for years before ultimately seizing power in Syria.

The Mazzeh district of western Damascus where Ahmad Al Shara grew up. Khaled Yacoub Oweis / The National
The Mazzeh district of western Damascus where Ahmad Al Shara grew up. Khaled Yacoub Oweis / The National

Centre of attention

Mr Al Shara has given numerous interviews since, especially to social media personalities and to podcasters, in a public-relations campaign aimed at a western audience and at Syria's younger generation.

But behind the screen of choreographed appearances and the mostly young staff he has been hiring is a hard-working man who barely sleeps, according to people who have worked with him. Sometimes he cracks jokes to win visitors over, but he rarely appears interested in hearing detailed views from them.

"If I shook her hand, my wife could have become jealous," he joked recently at a private meeting with Syrian expatriates, in reference to having declined to shake hands in January with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock because of perceived religious restrictions.

Now in his early 40s, Mr Al Shara's life has been shaped by his parents and a Syrian preacher who inspired him to fight in Iraq after the 2003 US-led invasion. In his current role of directing Syria's political future, two ultra-loyalists – his foreign minister and intelligence chief – exert the most influence on Mr Al Shara, HTS members who fought directly under his command say.

Nationalist father

In the 1980s, Mr Al Shara’s father, Hussein, returned from work in the public sector in Saudi Arabia and bought the Mazzeh apartment in instalments. The government had provided the land to an association of which he was a member, as was common in the country’s socialised housing sector.

The purchase cemented the family's upper-middle-class status. Hussein Al Shara also opened a small real estate brokerage besides the grocery, although business was light. He had studied economics and his thesis consisted of a proposed plan for a state-run petrochemical industry in Syria.

Mr Al Shara's mother was a geography teacher. When he was based in Idlib, he used to visit her and his father regularly. "He is very close to her," said another neighbour.

His parents fled Damascus to Idlib and eventually settled in the town of Atma, on the border with Turkey, after Mr Al Shara formed Al Nusra Front in 2012. The group later disavowed Al Qaeda and morphed into HTS – a coalition of militant groups dominated by former members of Al Nusra Front.

Hussein Al Shara, now around 80, has written several books and appears to have been an admirer of former Egyptian president Gemal Abdel Nasser and the nationalistic ideology of the secular Baath party, although the two sides were rivals for Arab ideological domination.

The Baath party monopolised power in Iraq and Syria for decades but has been brushed aside by the US-led invasion that deposed Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the 11-day offensive led by Mr Al Shara that toppled Mr Al Assad.

Mr Al Shara's father also did not approve of the Assad dynasty, but was discreet. He took part in what became known as the Damascus Spring, comprising mainly public debates about pluralism that were held shortly after Bashar Al Assad inherited the presidency from his father in 2000. The movement was initiated mainly by Syrian industrialist Riad Seif, who had openly criticised corruption under Hafez Al Assad.

The Damascus Spring was aimed at transforming Syria into an open society, before the regime swiftly crushed the movement and imprisoned Mr Seif and nine other main figures in the enterprise. Hussein Al Shara had never openly challenged the regime and was not jailed.

Showing flexibility

The younger Mr Al Shara inherited such “flexibility" and is "willing to change his mind under pressure, unlike other ideologues", said one of the architects of the Damascus Spring, who recently met Mr Al Shara.

However, the new president does not share his father's socialist ideology, having scrapped a state's import monopoly and curbed other agencies in a drive to attract private investment. He also has little in common with the capital's businessmen who curried favour with the former regime and are keen to profit under the new order, the source said.

A possible distrust of the urban gentry could also be attributed to the influence of his father, who was born in the Zawieh region of the now Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

In one of Hussein Al Shara's books, about the failed Great Syrian Revolt against French rule from 1925 to 1927, he describes the participation of several Al Shara clan members.

He emphasised the Bedouin origins of the family, which could help explain his son's drive to improve ties with Saudi Arabia.

The 2020 book, The Forgotten Syrian Zawieh Revolution, which relies on open-source material and the author's own recollections, concludes with the observation that the rural core of the revolt against the French was sidelined in the political structures that followed.

The main men

In contrast, Mr Al Shara has been staffing the new administration with rural Sunnis who comprised the armed nucleus of the 2011 revolt against the Assad regime, which was dominated by members of the president's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

Among them is Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani from the north-western Hasakah governorate, who previously handled HTS media, and Anas Al Khattab, head of General Intelligence, who is from Jayroud in the countryside of Damascus. Mr Al Shara's bodyguard, Mohammad Yahia, is from the Qalamoun mountain region.

The three men have remained by his side in a long religious-revolutionary struggle that not only eliminated the regime, but also other rebel groups and even non-violent figures seen as potential obstacles to HTS’s ascendancy.

Ahmad al Shara, left, the leader of Syria's new administration, with Asaad Al Shibani, his Foreign Minister
Ahmad al Shara, left, the leader of Syria's new administration, with Asaad Al Shibani, his Foreign Minister

A Syrian businessman, who was part of a group that recently met Mr Al Shibani and then Mr Al Shara, said the President began by apologising for possibly repeating what had already been relayed to them by his Foreign Minister. "It is obvious that Al Shibani is not just a protege. They are very close," the businessman said.

Operationally, Mr Al Shara relies on his intelligence chief. Mr Al Khattab was one of five key figures who helped Mr Al Shara set up and expand Al Nusra Front in 2012, after he returned from US jails in Iraq. The other four have been killed, disappeared or left the organisation.

Pragmatic approach

In the early 2000s. Mr Al Shara became one of thousands of students who were recruited by preachers in Syria to fight in Iraq, with the tacit approval of the authorities in Damascus who were wary of the US presence across the border.

His early adoption of religious ideology was influenced by a Syrian preacher known as Abu Al Qaqa, an Afghan war veteran who operated in the murky world of regime-sanctioned proselytisation, according to an HTS member who lives in Idlib.

Abu Al Qaqa was assassinated in Aleppo in 2007, as the regime started succumbing to US military and diplomatic pressure to stop sending extremist fighters to Iraq.

He advocated an originalist interpretation of Islam, saying the religion must be construed exactly as it was at the time of the Prophet Mohammed. Any divergence, in his view, would undermine Islam's purity, and the Prophet's "clear" legacy.

But he urged his followers to adopt an incremental, pragmatic approach, rather than immediately going after lofty visions and all-encompassing victories that might not be realised.

His disciple also appears to favour the long-term approach.

2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
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  • Ford v Ferrari – 2
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  • Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
  • American Factory – 1
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  • Hair Love – 1
  • Jojo Rabbit – 1
  • Judy – 1
  • Little Women – 1
  • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
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  • The Neighbors' Window – 1
  • Toy Story 4 – 1
The specs

Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric

Transmission: n/a

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 659Nm

Price estimate: Dh200,000

On sale: Q3 2022 

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

Last 10 NBA champions

2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

'Peninsula'

Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ra

Director: ​Yeon Sang-ho

Rating: 2/5

The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

 


 

Stamp duty timeline

December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%

April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.

July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.

March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.

April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Unresolved crisis

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.

Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.

The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

The%20Color%20Purple
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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Results

2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili

3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar

4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly

Family reunited

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.

She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.

She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.

The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.

She was held in her native country a year later.

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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The lowdown

Bohemian Rhapsody

Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee

Rating: 3/5

Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

 

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

Results

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).

7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m

Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m

Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

Company profile

Date started: December 24, 2018

Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer

Based: Dubai Media City

Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)

Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech

Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year

Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020

Racecard

7pm: Abu Dhabi - Conditions (PA) Dh 80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.30pm: Dubai - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m

8pm: Sharjah - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m

8.30pm: Ajman - Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,200m

9pm: Umm Al Quwain - The Entisar - Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m

9.30pm: Ras Al Khaimah - Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m

10pm: Fujairah - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m

PROFILE BOX

Company name: Overwrite.ai

Founder: Ayman Alashkar

Started: Established in 2020

Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai

Sector: PropTech

Initial investment: Self-funded by founder

Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Etwo%20permanent%20magnet%20synchronous%20motors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Etwo-speed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E625hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E850Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E456km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh737%2C480%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries

• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.

• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.

• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.

• For more information visit the library network's website.

Results:

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi

6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia

7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle

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Results

STAGE

1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56

2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14

3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21

4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24

5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05

2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05

3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18

4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33

5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39

Updated: February 28, 2025, 10:15 AM