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Lennert Van Eetvelt impresses with 4th place on Jebel Jais

Lennert Van Eetvelt (23) secured an impressive fourth place in the third stage of the UAE Tour. On the first summit finish, he had to acknowledge the superiority of the world champion. "He basically gave me a lead-out, but I didn't have the legs to do anything with it," Van Eetvelt says.
Race 19 February 2025
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Last year, Van Eetvelt finished third on Jebel Jais and had marked this stage again for this year. The final climb of nineteen kilometers at an average gradient of 5.6% suits Van Eetvelt perfectly, though this time, he had to settle for fourth place. "Actually, the scenario was perfect for me," Van Eetvelt said afterward. Teammates Reuben Thompson and Lars Craps did a lot of hard work on the climb, and Van Eetvelt was able to follow Pogacar’s wheel. "The world champion basically gave me a lead-out with his final acceleration, but I just didn’t have the legs to take advantage of it. But I’m enjoying the race. I don’t have the highest expectations, and I’m happy to achieve a strong result at the same time."

With his fourth-place finish, Van Eetvelt moves up from 15th to 10th place in the general classification. There are still opportunities later this week, as the final stage to Jebel Hafeet—where Van Eetvelt won last year—is yet to come.

 

Picture: PhotoNews