AlUla Tour 2025 Stage 1

January 28, 2025 The 2025 AlUla Tour kicks off with a 143KM route that will likely end in a bunch sprint. After a journey into the desert, the riders make their way back to Al Manshiyah where the race started for local laps through town that include multiple 180 degree turns. Alexandre Vinokurov of XDS-Astana, Azzam Alabdulmunim and Alhur Alkulaif of the Saudi Arabian National Team, Masaki Yamamoto of JCL Team UKYO, Muhammad Nur Aiman Bin Rosli of Terengganu Cycling, and Kongphob Thimachai of Roojai Insurance went up the road to make the break of the day with a lead below 90 seconds with 68KM to go. The speed was up but the mood was relaxed as the riders passed giant mountains of block sandstone and palm trees. Alabdulmunim and Alkulaif were dropped on the hill as they passed the incredible Maraya venue, leaving just four riders at the front with 47KM to go. The race was all together at 20KM to go as they hit the city streets of Al Manshiyah and two laps of the circuit. The riders raced for the line at 10.5KM to go for one lap to go and available bonus seconds. Fredrik Dversnes of Uno-X Mobility took the prize then settled back in to the bunch to set up for the sprint finale. With 4.5KM to go, a crash took down around ten riders including sprinters Arvid De Kleijn of Tudor Pro Cycling and Alexander Kristoff of Uno-X Mobility. Picnic-PostNL looked great through 1.5KM to go and led through the last 180 degree turn with 1KM to go. They could not hold the speed and got swamped by Soudal Quickstep who made their first appearance 300M from the line. Tim Merlier blasted away 100M later on the left side of the bunch and held on to take the win. Juan Sebastián Molano of UAE-XRG and Maikel Zijlaard of Tudor Pro Cycling were on Merlier's wheel when he started his sprint and followed the slipstream in for second and third.