Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Tadej Pogacar cemented his status as a cycling legend on Sunday by becoming the first rider in history to win four consecutive Monument races, soloing to his third Ronde van Vlaanderen title.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider produced a supreme performance in Belgium to defend his crown, also known as the Tour of Flanders, and move into an elite group of joint-record holders for the event alongside runner-up Mathieu van der Poel.
The world champion's 12th career Monument victory moves him past Roger De Vlaeminck into second place on the all-time list, now trailing only Eddy Merckx. Pogacar secured the win with a signature move on the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont, riding clear with 18 kilometres remaining to finish solo in Oudenaarde.
The victory was built on a clinical team performance. Mikkel Bjerg controlled the early breakaway before Nils Politt and Antonio Morgado increased the tempo to set the stage for the leaders.
Despite losing Benoit Cosnefroy to a crash, the Emirati squad remained in control as Florian Vermeersch delivered a blistering acceleration on the Molenberg to split the field, leaving Pogacar in an elite lead group.
On the penultimate climb of the Oude Kwaremont, Pogacar narrowed the contenders to just Remco Evenepoel and Van der Poel. He then dropped Evenepoel on the Paterberg before delivering the knockout blow to Van der Poel on the final set of cobbles.
"It was a really crazy race today," Pogacar said after the finish. "I think it was super hard from I don't know which kilometre. For sure, I didn't want Remco back into the group because I know how well his endurance is as a rider. He can always overcome in the end, so I really tried to make a gap and it was good."
The Slovenian has now won all three of his races in 2026 via solo attacks and heads to Paris-Roubaix next week with significant momentum.
"I don't race too much, so when I race, there is pressure to win," he added. "So far, everything went perfect for me".
Al Ali defends UAE national time trial title
Abdulla Jasim Al Ali confirmed his status as the premier time-triallist in the UAE by defending his national title on Sunday. The UAE Team Emirates Gen Z rider completed the 30km course in 35 minutes and 19 seconds, averaging over 50km/h to claim his second consecutive elite gold medal.
The day proved to be a total triumph for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG camp, with his Dubai-born teammate Mohammad Al Mutaiwei securing second place to complete a one-two finish for the squad.
Both riders are graduates of the ADNOC Accelerators programme, a pathway designed to transition local talent into the professional WorldTour ranks.
Reflecting on his victory, Al Ali noted the difficulty of the blustery conditions. "This was my second race with the Elite category, and I went in with one goal - defend the title," he said.
"Strong competitors and powerful headwinds made it a real battle. This race means a lot to me, especially knowing that I will be wearing the UAE national champion's jersey around the world. I am raising my country's flag high."
