For Tadej the countdown to the first start of the 2025 season is coming to an end. From February 17 to 23 he will be chasing victory at the UAE Tour, the home event of his team UAE Team Emirates – XRG, where he was already the best in 2021 and 2022. »I’m really excited and motivated to start the season. Luckily I can say that I had a pretty smooth preparation for this first part of the season and I’m feeling good and ready to go. It’s been a few years now since I’ve raced the UAE Tour and I must say I’m looking forward to it,« Tadej said before the week-long event, where he will be supported by teammates Mikkel Bjerg, Rune Herregodts, Sebastian Molano, Domen Novak, Florian Vermeersch and Jay Vine.
» I’m confident to lead the team and I will have strong support around me, both from my teammates and from all the support we get from the fans in UAE whenever we race there. The important thing is we put a good show and really push to win the title in the home race.Usually the key stages will be the time trial and then the two mountain finishes at Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet but if we get wind on the flat days it can also play a factor so we need to be ready for anything. I think from a spectators’ point of view it will be a really nice race and I can’t wait to start,« Tadej added.
» It’s no secret that this race is one of our key objectives of the year. The aim will be quite clear: to try and take the title which has eluded us the past two years. We’re on home soil and we know that all eyes will be on us but it’s something we’ll use as further motivation in the race. Pogačar will be our clear leader and we hope for a strong team performance in the TT and for Molano in the sprints. Every stage is very important in this race,« sports manager of the UAE Team Emirates – XRG Matxin Fernandez added about the UAE Tour. The time trial will be on schedule in the 2nd stage, and the key mountain tests in the 3rd and 7th stages.
Tadej will start the season in the world champion’s jersey, which he won last September in Zürich. He faces a challenging task if he wants to repeat or exceed last year’s remarkable achievements, which include 25 victories, in addition to the World Championships, the Tour, the Giro, and two cycling monuments, Liege–Bastogne–Liege and Il Lombardia.