At last! Sunweb becomes the last WorldTour team with a UCI win in 2018
Phil Bauhaus beats Marcel Kittel in Abu Dhabi Tour photo finish
Only five days after Sunweb was left as the last WorldTour team without a 2018 UCI win, its German sprinter Phil Bauhaus broke the team’s duck in Stage 3 of the Abu Dhabi Tour in the United Arab Emirates. Bauhaus headed up an all-German podium after he pipped Marcel Kittel (Katusha) and Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe). Another German, Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) placed sixth.
A close one at #RideToAbuDhabi but the team’s hard work paid off. Our first victory of the season! #KeepChallenging #WirSindTeamSunweb?? pic.twitter.com/S5DjE1Mbhu
— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) February 23, 2018
After catching his breath, Bauhaus said, “We have a strong team here for the sprint and I’ve been working really well at home. It’s always hard to get the first win but I’m super happy it worked out.” Bauhaus took the flowers on the fifth stage of last year’s Critérium du Dauphiné.
Stage 2 winner Elia Viviani (Quick Step) kept the race lead after finishing fourth.
Viva Viviani, Viva Italia ?
Our rider will go into tomorrow's ITT with both the red and the green jersey.#WayToRide#RideToAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/W5JiSSVDVR— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) February 23, 2018
On Sunday, UAE-Emirates became the penultimate WorldTour squad to score a win, as new addition Alexander Kristoff took the final stage of the Tour of Oman.
After three sprinters’ stages, the second 2018 WorldTour stage race now gets a little grippy. Saturday is a 12.6-km time trial and Sunday’s queen stage ends on the formidable Jebel Hafeet climb: 10-km of 6.6 per cent and a maximum of 11 per cent.
Michael Woods finished in the pack, moving up to 38th on GC before the key stages of the final weekend.
2018 Abu Dhabi Tour Stage 3
1) Phil Bauhaus (Germany/Sunweb) 3:02:55
2) Marcel Kittel (Germany/Katusha) s.t.
3) Pascal Ackermann (Germany/Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.
32) Michael Woods (Canada/EF-Drapac) s.t.
125) Svein Tuft (Canada/Mitchelton-Scott) +0:32
2018 Abu Dhabi Tour GC
1) Elia Viviani (Italy/Quick Step) 11:06:36
2) Alexander Kristoff (Norway/UAE-Emirates) +0:06
3) Phil Bauhaus (Germany/Sunweb) s.t.
38) Michael Woods (Canada/EF-Drapac) +0:13
89) Svein Tuft (Canada/Mitchelton-Scott) +0:45
