Cavendish wins Stage 1 of the Abu Dhabi Tour
First triumph of the season, third career Abu Dhabi Tour win for Brit
Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) took his third career stage victory of the Abu Dhabi Tour in Thursday’s opening round of the race’s first inclusion in the WorldTour. Cavendish and Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) avoided a crash in the final kilometre, but Marcel Kittel (Germany/Quick Step) could not.
#RideToAbuDhabi Winning! but truly incredible work by the whole team! @EiselBernhard @ReinvanRensburg & @Mark_Renshaw were perfect! pic.twitter.com/oJetSFzGP6
— NTT Pro Cycling (@NTTProCycling) February 23, 2017
It was certainly a profile that suited the fast men, although exposed desert roads always hold the possibility of echelons. Thursday’s stage wasn’t particularly hot.
#RideToAbuDhabi The riders have hit the road at @Abu_Dhabi_Tour! Profile for a bunch sprint, but what about the wind in the desert? pic.twitter.com/z3yzfpyhay
— Lotto Soudal (@Lotto_Soudal) February 23, 2017
Just in time for the big Emerati race of the year, the old Lampre team, which had been called UAE-Abu Dhabi for a couple of months, became UAE Team Emerites this week. The team’s kit improved slightly with the new incarnation.
Remember this jersey, it’s the one you’re going to see out in front ??♂️ #UAETeamEmirates pic.twitter.com/r3m9cwZEQd
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamUAEAbuDhabi) February 21, 2017
In other team news, Sky, which had planned to send seven instead of eight riders to the Abu Dhabi Tour, fielded six when Ian Boswell developed the shingles. The team could face a $13,000 fine for a reduced team.
Immediately a sextet stole away to run up a maximum gap of 5:00 on the peloton. Italian Manuele Mori would take maximum points and time bonuses at both intermediate sprints for the UAE-Team Emirates outfit.
The sextet became a trio with about 50-km remaining and teams like Lotto-Soudal worked to make sure the capture came at the right time. The teams gathered in their colour blocks as the catch came nearer.
#RideToAbuDhabi Todos los equipos protegiendo a sus líderes camino del sprint en Madinat Zayed. Apenas 1’ para la fuga, -22 km pic.twitter.com/9TgIDjiQQj
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) February 23, 2017
With 16-km to go the race came back together. There was plenty of dicing as sprinters’ teams looked to launch their riders and GC squads endeavoured to keep their men protected. A crash with 5-km remaining took down Trek-Segafredo’s Alberto Contador, but a teammate’s bike and team effort helped to bring him back just before the big showdown.
#RideToAbuDhabi Cuatro gregarios regresan a Alberto Contador a cola del pelotón. Pequeño susto para el de Trek-Segafredo. pic.twitter.com/8cyibDN3Ki
— CiclismoInternacional (@CiclismoInter) February 23, 2017
Quick-Step mobbed the front for Kittel, and Greipel grabbed his compatriot’s wheel. But another crash right at the red kite spilled Kittel and several others. Greipel got around the carnage but could not come around Cavendish, whose lead-out was precise. Niccolo Bonifazio (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) placed third.
Sky’s Owain Doull had a scare when his shoe was sliced open in the last wreck. Gregory Rast put the blame squarely at the, er, feet of Kittel, the only rider in the race outfitted with disc brakes.
Although fortunately for me the disk brake went through my shoe and not my leg. Disk cut straight through my shoe into my foot pic.twitter.com/b6HMe7hRMb
— Owain Doull (@owaindoull) February 23, 2017
1 out of 158 riders in abu dhabi using disk brake and this happens! Imagine all of them use disks!! #coverup @UCI_cycling ?? https://t.co/DvtVXDczr5
— Gregory Rast (@gregory_rast) February 23, 2017
Another sprinter’s stage, this time with more of a city course, is scheduled for Friday.
2017 Abu Dhabi Tour Stage 1
1) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) 4:37:06
2) Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) s.t.
3) Niccolo Bonifazio (Italy/Bahrain-Merida) s.t.