Time-trial specialist Remco Evenepoel blew away the opposition on Stage 2 of the UAE Tour to take over the leader's red jersey.
The reigning Olympic and World champion in the discipline blasted around the 12.2km route on Al Hudayriyat Island in spectacular fashion, taking the stage honours by six seconds over second-place Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), with Remi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ United) third a further six seconds back.
Evenepoel, of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, came home in 13 minutes and three seconds at 56.1 kmph – the fastest average speed of his career – with the Belgian rider's decision to go out early in the day paying dividends. He also enjoys the same six and 12-second advantage over Tarling and Cavagna in the general classification.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Isaac del Toro, who stunned the race's sprint specialists by winning Stage 1 on Monday, was last out in the time-trial but had lost 42 seconds by the finish, coming home 27th. The Mexican is 32 seconds behind Evenepoel, sitting 10th in the overall standings.
Italian rider Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), who finished third on Monday, is another GC contender sitting two seconds ahead of Del Toro in eighth place overall – the same time as another UAE Team Emirates rider in Florian Vermeersch of Belgium.
“It was a fast time trial since the course was completely flat. It wasn't really technical either, so it was a perfect time trial to ride fast. I'm really happy with it,” Evenepoel said on Tuesday, after his second time-trial win of 2025.
“In 2023, I was part of the winning team time trial, but I finished second in both mountain stages that year, so to take my first individual victory at the UAE Tour is pretty cool.
“I think Isaac made the most of it. We knew it was better to start a bit earlier. We both have a stage win and now the battle for the overall begins. With some tough climbs coming up, it's always better to defend a lead. This is the perfect scenario for us and we'll try to defend the jersey until Sunday.”
Evenepoel – who was UAE Tour champion in 2023 with Soudal – Quick-Step – has made a flying start with his new team with six wins to his name already. He secured overall victory at the Volta Valenciana.
British rider Tarling admitted he paid the price for going too fast early in the time trial. “It was good, it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but I did well,” Tarling told Cyclingnews.
“I overdid the first bit, I think anyway, because the first straight was dead headwind, and then when you went left at the first kink, during the recon, it was more cross and now it was more cross-head, so I went a bit too over-under.
“But I gained some time in the corners, and I'm pretty happy I got everything out.”
When asked if Evenepoel is unbeatable against the clock, Tarling, 22, insisted: “No, no, he's beatable, you've just got to put everything together. At the minute, he's just got more things right, so I just need to get everything right on my side and tidy up.”
Wednesday's 183km Stage 3 could see Del Toro surging back up the standings if he can master a brutal finish on top of the Jebel Mobrah climb.
Stage 3 route map
