Mountain bike world champion Alan Hatherly raced to an impressive third place on the stage two of the AlUla Tour, leading home Eddie Dunbar in fourth place.
The South African, who is making his debut in the purple of Team Jayco AlUla, was one of the few who could follow a late stinging attack from Tom Pidcock on the punchy final climb.
It was a peculiar day for the riders with the stage being neutralised briefly on the finishing circuit, due to some concerns about the road surface. The riders were eventually released to race with five kilometres remaining, and the pace exploded ahead of the ascent to the finish line.
Team Jayco AlUla assembled on the front of the peloton to ensure that Dunbar and Hatherly were in position for the final rise to the line.
The pair held firm as the bunch quickly diminished in size, riding to a strong finish and placing themselves well up the overall classification in third and fourth overall with three stages remaining.
Alan Hatherly:
“It was a strange finish today, I think for safety reason they adapted it and it made it a strange finish with it being neutralised until five kilometres to go and then an all-out dice to the top.
I was positioned poorly at the bottom and spent a lot of pennies to make it back to the front and by the time I did Tom went, I think he was watching, and I was a bit gassed to follow him all the way.
But I’m happy nonetheless, the racing is still tight. I think the GC is still tight, so I’m looking forward to the battle.”
2025 AlUla Tour – Stage 2 Results:
1. Tom Pidcock 3:18:15
2. Rainer Kepplinger +0:04
3. Alan Hatherly (Team Jayco AlUla) +0:07
