PARIS: Tadej Pogacar believes he has the right team in place to help him fight for a third Tour de France triumph with an eight-rider UAE roster confirmed on Friday.
“It’s already my fifth time coming to the Tour and I’m really excited about it,” said Pogacar, a back-to-back winner in 2020 and 2021 who finished runner-up in the past two editions to Jonas Vingegaard.
“We’ve worked really hard all year as a team to prepare for this. We’ve spent a lot of time together as a group training at altitude and put in a lot of hours in the saddle. We’re in a really good place as a group.”
Pogacar, 25, will also be bidding for the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France double, last achieved by the late Marco Pantani in 1998, with this year’s Tour starting in Florence on June 29.
The Slovenian will be accompanied by Britain’s Adam Yates, Spaniards Juan Ayuso and Marc Soler, France’s Pavel Sivakov, Portuguese Joao Almeida, Belgian Tim Wellens and Germany’s Nils Politt.
“We know what we have to do to support Tadej,” said Yates, third in last year’s Tour de France.
“We’re aiming for the win and we know if things go our way it’s possible so it’s just a matter of staying focused and pulling together all the way to Nice.”
Ayuso, winner of the Tour of the Basque Country and third in the 2022 Vuelta, and Almeida, third in last year’s Giro, will compete in their first Tour de France.
Pogacar confident in his UAE team to deliver third Tour de France title
https://arab.news/53k7h
Pogacar confident in his UAE team to deliver third Tour de France title
Historic FIFAe Finals 25 conclude with France crowned world’s best nation in Rocket League
- FIFAe Finals 25 took place from Dec. 10-19 in Riyadh
- France crowned champions of the FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League
RIYADH: The FIFAe Finals 25 concluded on Friday as France were crowned champions at the FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League, closing out eight days of football esports competition and entertainment in Riyadh.
The French team, consisting of Zen, Vatira and Juicy, delivered a standout performance from the group stage to the final, combining exceptional skills, perfect team chemistry and nerves of steel in high-pressure moments.
The competition marked the grand conclusion of the FIFAe Finals 25, the pinnacle event in football esports, bringing teams from around the world to challenge for multiple titles together under one roof.
With 250 matches across eight competition days, a $450,000 prize pool, millions tuning in online and record-breaking social media numbers, the event set new benchmarks in its 2025 edition.
“This year’s FIFAe Finals truly united the world by connecting the next generation of fans with the sport we all love. By creating the biggest global stage for national team–based football esports, we are shaping a new era of entertainment — one that combines national pride, competitive excellence and the universal passion for football and gaming,” said Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA secretary general.
“Congratulations to all world champions for their outstanding achievements in an unforgettable, spectacular atmosphere. As we continue to unite the entire football family, we encourage all our member associations, players, fans and stakeholders to join us in 2026 for an exciting new chapter.”
With 94 nations and millions of players on the Road to Riyadh, the FIFAe ecosystem demonstrated a new level of national team–based esports throughout the year. The season reached its climax at the SEF Arena in Riyadh.
The FIFAe Finals 25 concluded with three historic champions:
- Thailand: Champions of the FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball Mobile
- Poland: Champions of the FIFAe World Cup featuring eFootball Console
- France: Champions of the FIFAe World Cup featuring Rocket League
