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Cavendish takes his revenge in Abu Dhabi Tour’s second stage

Cav seizes red leader's jersey from Nizzolo

October 21, 2016
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After coming third in the field sprint in Thursday’s opening stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour in the United Arab Emirates and second last week at Worlds in Doha, Mark Cavendish earned a moment of satisfaction in winning Friday’s second stage. The peloton swept up the remains of the day’s breakaway in the final kilometre to battle out the sprint.


It was a short stage on Friday, 115-km around the perimeter of Abu Dhabi, with the sprint to contested at the marina.


Jens Keukeleire (Belgium/Orica-GreenEdge) got in his second breakaway in a row, as did Kiwi Dion Smith (One Cycling). They were part of a sextet that flashed away and opened up a gap of 2:00 after 30-km.

The teams of Thursday’s top-three, Trek-Segafredo, Giant-Alpecin and Dimension Data, worked to bring the lead down. With 43-km remaining it was 1:20.

But even having lost a rider, the break wasn’t giving up and the peloton–with only six-rider teams–was perhaps too blithe in its pursuit. With 10-km to go the gap was still 1:30 and halved with 5-km until the line.

Finally, the last of the fugitives were swept up with 500-metres to go. Cavendish sprang off his lead-out man and staved off any attempt from two Italians to overcome him.

Thursday’s winner Giacomo Nizzolo could not retain the red leader’s jersey after his sixth place.

Saturday is the queen stage, ending on the climb up Jebel Hafeet.

2016 Abu Dhabi Tour Stage 2
1) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) 2:32:21
2) Elia Viviani (Italy/Sky) s.t.
3) Andrea Guardini (Italy/Astana) s.t.

2016 Abu Dhabi Tour GC
1) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) 5:48:06
2) Giacomo Nizzolo (Italy/Trek-Segafredo) +0:04
3) Jens Keukeleire (Belgium/Orica-GreenEdge) +0:05