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Kim Le Court moves up to third on UAE Tour GC
Kim Le Court Pienaar delivered an outstanding performance, securing third place on the queen stage of the UAE Tour. The third day of the race, a 152 km mountain stage from Al Ain to Jebel Hafeet, was crucial for the general classification and took the peloton to the gruelling slopes of one of the region’s most iconic climbs. Thanks to her strong performance there, Kim made an impressive jump on the overall standings, where she now sits third.
Decisive finale on Jebel Hafeet
After a relatively flat start through Al Ain, the peloton headed into the desert towards the decisive climb. The 10-kilometer-long Jebel Hafeet, with gradients reaching up to 10%, sparked an intense battle among the GC contenders.
In the final eight kilometers, the race exploded as a group of ten riders broke away. With three kilometers to go, Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) launched a powerful attack, going solo in pursuit of the stage victory. Kim responded strongly, attacking together with a select group, and after an impressive effort, she crossed the finish line in third place, scoring our team’s first World Tour podium of the season.
Kim Le Court Pienaar: "I really surprised myself"
After the stage, Kim reflected on her strong performance, admitting she didn’t feel her best at the start of the day: "To be honest, I woke up not feeling good at all. That made me second-guess myself. When I feel like this, my mind tends to take over. But the girls believed in me so much, and somehow I was able to flip the switch and just keep focusing. I really wanted to do this for the team and for our goals. I also wanted to see where I stood against the other climbers, and I really surprised myself. I’ve never achieved a result like this against climbers before, so I think I did a pretty good job! I’m really grateful to the team, and I’m looking forward to finishing the UAE Tour tomorrow."