Tiberi overjoyed after first WorldTour win: ‘It’s a dream come true’

Jebel Mobrah provided the backdrop for a surprising finale in the third stage of the UAE Tour. Where many expected a duel between Evenepoel and Del Toro, it was Tiberi who emerged with the stage win.

After initially being dropped when Felix Gall accelerated, the 25-year-old found a second wind and rode impressively back into contention before launching his move for victory. Del Toro, who paced the climb well, came close in the finale but could not reel in the Bahrain rider.

It was the first WorldTour-level victory of Tiberi’s career — and he could hardly contain his happiness afterwards. “This is amazing. Since I turned professional, I’ve dreamed of a big victory like this — it’s a dream come true,” said Tiberi in his post-stage interview. “The season started well from the first race, but I was still waiting for a day like this.”

The new overall leader admitted he only dared to believe in the win late on the climb. “I felt good from the start of the ascent, but when Remco was struggling and Del Toro was far back, I doubted whether I was really that strong — or whether they were simply waiting until the very end of the climb,” Tiberi explained.

In the end, the Italian managed to sustain his effort and keep Del Toro at bay. “I heard Del Toro was getting closer and closer. In the last kilometre I used all the energy I had left and went full gas to the finish,” said a visibly tired Tiberi.

With the stage victory, Tiberi also became the new leader in the general classification. He inherited the jersey from Evenepoel, who appeared to be suffering with cramp on the final climb and finished more than two minutes down on the Italian winner.

Tiberi arrived at the UAE Tour with GC ambitions, but he did not expect to be fighting for the overall victory this early. “I came here with the goal of finishing in the top five — personally I hoped I could make the top three,” he said afterwards.

After three stages, however, Tiberi sits at the top of the standings and suddenly finds himself in a position to go for the overall win. “Today I confirmed that I can win this UAE Tour. From now on, we’re going for victory,” he concluded ambitiously.