Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini dominated Stage 3 of the UAE Tour Women 2025 with a strong attack on Jebel Hafeet. After UAE Team ADQ controlled the race on the climb with Silvia Persico, she secured a big victory in the team’s home race.
After a huge crosswind day on Stage 2, it was a great chance for UAE Team ADQ to solidify their positions in the GC with their strong Italian duo Silvia Persico and Elisa Longo Borghini. Persico pulled the peloton for a long time, reducing it to just a few riders as she worked for her teammate and race favourite, Longo Borghini. Mavi Garcia’s attack with 5 km to go was unsuccessful, as Longo Borghini easily neutralised it. With 3.2 km remaining, Longo Borghini attacked, and no one could follow her.
She climbed Jebel Hafeet in 33:19 minutes with an estimated 5.00 ᵉW/Kg. A year ago, Lotte Kopecky and Neve Bradbury completed it 51 seconds faster, averaging 5.10 ᵉW/Kg. Despite working for her teammate, Silvia Persico finished second, while Mauritian champion Kim Le Court continued her progression and surprised many with a third-place finish on such a big climb. Race leader Lorena Wiebes did her best on Hafeet but lost more than four minutes, averaging 4.38 ᵉW/Kg.
The long-awaited Visma Lease a Bike French star duo’s debut at the UAE Tour did not go as planned. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lost more than three minutes and finished 18th, pushing 4.47 ᵉW/Kg. Meanwhile, Marion Bunel, who performed well on Hafeet in 2024 while riding for St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93, struggled in her debut race with Visma Lease a Bike, losing 19 minutes today and 22 minutes in the crosswinds yesterday.
UAE Team ADQ delivered an excellent performance in their home race, with Longo Borghini leading the GC by a huge margin thanks to her strength in the crosswinds on Stage 2 and her climbing ability on Jebel Hafeet. Persico sits second before the final stage, with four Italian riders in the top six of the race.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com