Tadej Pogacar stretched his lead in the Giro d'Italia on Saturday winning the mountainous 152km Stage 8 to notch his third success of this year's race.
A day after claiming the lengthy individual time-trial in Perugia, the 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates leader paced himself up the 14km final climb along with an elite clique before producing his trademark late kick to the 1,425m altitude finish line in the Abruzzo region.
Pogacar also won the second stage, a summit finish at the Sanctuary of Oropa in Piedmont.
In his bid to win the Giro and Tour de France in the same season he now leads title rivals Dani Martinez by 2min 40sec and Geraint Thomas in third by 2min 58sec with the pair close on his heels on the second mountain stage in the 21-day race.
Australia's AG2R man Ben O'Connor at 3min 39sec and Belgian Visma rider Cian Uijtdebroeks at 4min 02sec round out the top five in the overall standings.
The Slovenian two-time Tour de France champion is taking part in the Giro for the first time and hopes to emulate Italy's Marco Pantani who won the double in 1998.
"My team won this one in a way," said Pogacar, who was paced all the way by teammate Rafal Majka.
The race continues Sunday with a largely flat 214km stage nine to the southern port city of Naples on a route open to attacks from the same kind of one-day specialists that lit up stage six on the Tuscan gravel.
"Sunday will be easier for us and we could do with some breathing space now," said Pogacar, known for his all-in style and desire to rack up stage wins.
Ineos leader Thomas had a more poised approach to the art of negotiating the 21-day long-haul and said he was more than happy after the climb.
"I felt much better today, it's like night and day," said the veteran, hoping to find his peak in the ultra-mountainous third week.
Thomas was just 2 seconds adrift on the day after being paced by young teammate Thymen Arensman.
Dutch outfit Visma lost another of their chief riders to injury when Christophe Laporte failed to show up for the start. He fell hard when hitting a gutter on Stage 5.
The Visma team are reeling from injuries to double Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard and one-day expert Wout van Aert.
Stage 8 results
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 4hrs 02mins 16secs
2. Dani Martinez (Col/Bora-hansgrohe) Same time
3. Ben O'Connor (Aus/Decathlon)
4. Antonio Tiberi (Ita/Bahrain-Victorious) +2secs
5. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time
Overall standings
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 28hrs14mins 42secs
2. Dani Martinez (Col/Bora-hansgrohe) +2:40
3. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +2:58
4. Ben O'Connor (Aus/Decathlon) +3:39
5. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel/Team Visma) +4:02
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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
